MONTREAL -- An Air Canada Express plane flying from Montreal to Bagotville was forced to return to Trudeau Airport on Saturday when one of the landing gear wheels went flying off upon takeoff.
Nobody was injured in the incident.
In video shot by passenger Tom Van-Aken as the plane took off, flames can be seen within the wheel before it detaches and falls to the ground.
"We were on the plane, when we started to drive on the tarmac we saw little flames on the wheel, little sparks on the left wheel," he said. "When we started to speed up to take off, we saw the wheel fall off the plane."
The plane was equipped with six wheels total, with two on each landing gear.
The Dash 8-300 aircraft is operated by Jazz Aviation, an Air Canada regional partner. The plane was carrying 49 passengers and three crew members.
Ambulances and firetrucks were standing by on the tarmac.
"The landing was the most serious part of this travel because there was only one wheel on the left side of the plane," said Van-Aken. "We started to be serious and we didn't make jokes at this time. When the landing was completed we were very happy because the pilot did a very good job."
In an email Jazz Aviation spokesperson Manon Stuart said the aircraft’s pilots had to burn fuel before returning to Montreal. The aircraft is being examined to determine what may have gone wrong.
“The experienced pilots maintained complete control of the aircraft,” said Stuart. “Our pilots are well-trained to respond to such situations. They responded in accordance with our normal operating procedures.”
