The Buffalo Airways Boeing 737 experienced a front landing gear collapse upon landing at Yellowknife Airport on Monday night, leading to the rerouting of another plane back to Vancouver. The incident was confirmed by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada via email. Fortunately, the cargo flight, which had three crew members on board, ended without any injuries, as stated by Mikey McBryan, the airline’s general manager.
Following the incident, the affected aircraft has been removed from the runway, and airport operations have resumed. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is currently investigating the event and collecting additional details, although no on-site investigators have been dispatched yet. Nav Canada, the air traffic control authority in Canada, mentioned that the runway closure had an impact on another flight, causing it to delay until operations resumed.
A Yellowknife resident, Reyhan Sarikaya, shared that her Air Canada flight was redirected back to Vancouver due to the disabled aircraft on the Yellowknife runway. Passengers were provided with vouchers for accommodations and transportation. Sarikaya noted that most passengers were understanding of the situation.
Efforts to gather more information about the incident are ongoing, with CBC reaching out to Buffalo Airways and the N.W.T. Department of Infrastructure for updates.
