WestJet Flight Makes Hard Landing in Sint Maarten

A WestJet flight from Toronto made a dramatic hard landing at Sint Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency and order an evacuation. According to audio posted on LiveATC.net, the pilot of Flight 2276 broadcast “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday; WestJet 2276 will be evacuating” moments after the Boeing 737-800 appeared to bounce on touchdown and skid along the runway.

Local authorities said the aircraft’s landing gear reportedly collapsed during the landing, though there was no fire. Emergency crews quickly surrounded the jet with foam as a precaution. Three passengers were taken for medical evaluation out of an abundance of caution, while the remaining 161 people onboard were safely evacuated.

Witnesses described the landing as unusually rough for the Caribbean airport, which is famous worldwide for its low-altitude approaches over Maho Beach. “It was a very heavy and rough landing,” passenger Joe Herrara told reporters.

Hours after the incident, Sint Maarten government officials said most passengers had been provided hotel, food, and transportation vouchers while the airport prepared to resume normal operations at noon on Monday, September 8. The runway was temporarily closed to allow investigators to inspect the scene and ensure safety for future flights.

The incident underscores the challenges pilots face when landing at airports with short runways and difficult approaches, even for experienced crews. Authorities said a full investigation will determine the cause of the hard landing and assess whether any mechanical issues contributed to the emergency.

Related News: https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, abc7.com