A WestJet flight from Calgary to Brandon on Monday afternoon abruptly aborted its landing at Brandon Municipal Airport, a few minutes from touching down.
One of the passengers on board, who described the incident to the Sun, said it occurred around 1:05 p.m.
The passenger, who asked not to be named, said the flight had been on schedule, with the pilot announcing a timely arrival at Brandon.
We could see the runway; we were basically that low to the ground,” she said. “Then suddenly, the plane pulled up sharply and began to climb back into the air. We were left wondering what had happened.”
She said her husband, who was waiting in the airport with their son, observed the plane flying past the airport window and was perplexed by the sudden manoeuvre.
“It was a smooth flight until that point,” she said. “But then we experienced a bumpy, turbulent climb as the plane headed east and north, circling back to West for about 20 minutes.”
According to her, when the plane eventually landed at 1:16 p.m., an older man seated in front of her asked a flight attendant about the reason for the aborted landing.
“The stewardess said it was due to air traffic. This flight arrives at 1:05 p.m. every day, so how could there be air traffic for the only flight coming into Brandon at that time?” she said.
WestJet public relations co-ordinator Julia Brunet confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm that Monday afternoon, a WestJet flight travelling from Calgary to Brandon experienced an aborted landing.”
The passenger described the experience as “terrifying” and noted how upsetting it was that there was no communication from the crew.
“It was terrifying and was upsetting that there was no one … We sat in terror, bouncing around in turbulence while we flew west then north … with no information as to what’s happening,” she said.
“If it wasn’t a big deal, they should have told us, and we wouldn’t have felt panic, right? But we sat silent. Why was there no announcement?”
The airline did not provide details on the aborted landing and allegation of lack of information to the passengers, but stated the safety of the passengers and crew was never compromised.
“At no point was the safety of our guests and crew at risk,” Brunet told the Sun. “The operating crew executed a safe landing upon its second attempt, following standard operating procedures.”
The incident left the passenger questioning her confidence in flying with WestJet in the future.
“I have family out west that I want to visit, but after this experience, I’m seriously reconsidering flying with WestJet,” she said.
Brandon Municipal Airport manager Greg Brown did not provide details of the incident but stated the airport is committed to providing safe, reliable services and facilities to meet the needs of passenger air service, general and commercial aviation, flight training and medivac operations.
“Several programs, such as runway inspections, runway condition reporting, security programs and wildlife management, ensure the safety of all users at the Brandon Municipal Airport,” he told the Sun in an email.
“On the day in question, no incidents involving WestJet Encore occurred that would require an update to the airport’s procedures for managing air traffic or changes to the current communication of incoming flights.”
The cause of the aborted landing remains unclear, and it’s unknown whether an official report has been filed with Transport Canada.
Transport Canada spokesperson Sau Sau Liu said the agency needed more time to respond to the Sun’s email when contacted on Tuesday.