Repairing a WestJet aircraft that made a rough landing in St. Maarten over the weekend, causing the closure of the island’s airport for a day, is anticipated to pose significant challenges, according to experts in the aviation industry.
Videos capturing the descent and landing of WestJet Flight WS2276 from Toronto circulated widely on social media, showcasing the plane touching down on its right landing gear before coming to a halt on the runway of Princess Juliana International Airport on Sunday.
While the aircraft was relocated from the runway area where it came to a stop on Monday afternoon, the Boeing 737-800 remains stationary on the airport’s tarmac, awaiting assessment for repairs or relocation.
Aviation expert and former pilot Keith Mackey highlighted that repairing the aircraft on the small and remote island, situated approximately 300 kilometers east of Puerto Rico, could present challenges due to limited local resources. Mackey mentioned that materials and expertise may need to be imported, likely from Canada, to address the damage effectively while considering cost-efficiency.
The next step involves moving the aircraft to a secure facility shielded from weather elements, equipped with necessary tools and power to evaluate its salvage potential, as noted by Mackey. If repairing the aircraft isn’t feasible, Mackey suggested that scrapping it might be the only option.
Engineering professor Doug Perovic from the University of Toronto emphasized that restoring the plane would involve more than just fixing visibly damaged parts and resetting inflatable slides. He mentioned that a thorough inspection using advanced non-destructive evaluation techniques, such as X-rays and ultrasounds, would be essential to assess any hidden structural damage.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada announced the dispatch of a team of investigators to St. Maarten to determine the cause of the landing incident and assess the extent of the aircraft’s damage. Perovic explained that the investigation would involve analyzing flight data and cockpit recordings from the plane’s black boxes to understand the circumstances leading to the landing.
Perovic stated that the availability of critical data due to the non-severity of the incident would expedite the investigation process. However, he highlighted the need to transport the black boxes to Canada for detailed analysis, considering the lack of specialized equipment on the island.
Preliminary information from the black boxes is expected to be released by the safety board in the coming weeks, with early assessments determining any potential fleet-wide implications for WestJet’s aircraft. A comprehensive investigative report from the safety board may take up to a year to conclude.
Mackey, drawing on his experience flying into the airport multiple times, mentioned that the plane’s approach appeared normal in the landing video, indicating no apparent irregularities. He speculated that a mechanical issue could have led to the landing incident, although a definitive cause remains uncertain.
WestJet affirmed its cooperation with local authorities and committed to providing updates as new information becomes available, although no additional details have been released since the incident. Despite the safe evacuation of the 164 passengers on board, three individuals underwent medical evaluation as a precautionary measure.