A video posted online caught an Air Canada flight nearly crash-landing due to strong winds at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday.
The video shared on the YouTube channel Wake Turbulence Aviation showed a Boeing 777-300ER, arriving from Tokyo, being violently rocked by crosswinds upon landing on runway 06L/24R. The pilot safely stabilized the plane after the aircraft bounced on its left and right tires on the tarmac.
“Very heavy gusts created a heart-stopping moment on the live stream! Brilliant piloting saved this near-accident!” the creator of the aviation channel and a regular planespotter at Toronto Pearson Airport, Michael captioned the video.
The flight from Narita “experienced a hard landing due to crosswinds on arrival at Toronto Pearson,” an Air Canada representative told BlogTO.
The strong crosswinds were said to have been 17 knots (31.5 km/h) with gusting at 26 knots (48 km/h).
“As part of its standard operating procedures, Air Canada is reviewing the event, including regulatory reporting requirements,” an Air Canada spokesperson said in a statement. “Air Canada’s pilots are skilled professionals who are trained to handle any range of situations safely, including adverse wind conditions.”
The viral video has nearly 115,000 views with aviation fans chiming in on the “very rare event,” one commenter said.
“I work on the ramp at Toronto Pearson and witnessed this from gate 166 at terminal 1, with a clear view of runway 24R. It truly looked like the plane had lost control,” said another.
There were no injuries reported on Flight AC002 carrying 373 passengers on board.