Canadian investigators have disclosed that a Boeing 737-400 crew had been experiencing a flap problem before the aircraft suffered a main landing-gear collapse at Montreal.
The Nolinor twinjet had been operating from Quebec City to Bagotville air base – about 95nm to the north – on 27 November.
But Transportation Safety Board of Canada states that there was an “issue with a flap” on approach to Bagotville.
The crew declared an emergency and opted to divert to Montreal’s Mirabel airport, which lies about 135nm to the southwest of Quebec City. Mirabel’s runways are longer than those at Bagotville.
According to the safety board, the aircraft landed with retracted flaps on runway 24, but the left main landing-gear collapsed during deceleration.
“The aircraft continued down the runway, the left side supported by the engine, until it came to a complete stop,” it adds.
It says the jet sustained “major damage” but there was no fire. None of the 87 passengers and seven crew members, who evacuated by emergency slides, was injured.
The aircraft involved (C-GGWX) which was originally delivered to Icelandair in 1990, according to Cirium Fleets Analyzer.
Investigators have yet to determine the reason for the gear collapse and the flap problem. Nolinor says that its entire team is “co-operating fully with the authorities” to pinpoint and understand the cause.
