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Nolinor Boeing 737 Crash Lands in Montreal
The pilots of a Nolinor Boeing 737-400 made a chilling Mayday call on Friday before being forced to make a crash landing in Montreal, Canada. The plane sustained significant damage when it landed without extending one of its main landing gear legs.
Emergency slides evacuated the passengers, and an investigation into the incident is currently underway.
CTVNews reported that, on November 27, 2024, Nolinor flight NRL662 flew from Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) to La Baie Bagotville-Saguenay Airport (YBG), both in Canada’s province of Quebec.
One of Nolinor’s three operating Boeing 737-400s, registered C-GGWX, was on the mission. The flight had 87 passengers on board, and none were wounded during the landing or subsequent evacuation.
According to the Aviation Herald, the jet was approaching La Baie Airport with the landing gear down when the crew received an ‘unsafe gear’ signal. Following a failed approach at La Baie, the crew diverted to Montreal Mirabel Airport (YMX), approximately 233 miles (373 km) away.
The aircraft eventually made an emergency landing on Mirabel Airport’s runway 24 with its left (port-side) main gear partially extended. After touchdown, the aircraft stopped resting on its number one engine cowling. The passengers evacuated the aeroplane using the emergency escape slides, and there was no fire due to the landing.
The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has since dispatched a team of investigators to the airport while the aircraft has been removed from the runway for inspection and damage assessment by insurance. If the damage is sufficiently severe due to its age, the aircraft may be considered uneconomic to repair.
According to Ch-aviation, the aircraft is 34.7 years old and first flew on April 25, 1990. That same year, Icelandair received the aircraft as TF-FIC. The jet flew for various airlines before joining Nolinor Aviation in October 2020.
The airline offers scheduled and charter flights that transport passengers and freight. It specializes in flying to isolated airfields in Northern Canada.
The carrier’s fleet has 14 Boeing 737s in total: two 737-200s, one 737-200QC, six 737-200C, one 737-300QC, two 737-400s, one 737-400F, and one 737-800. Six of these aircraft (including all 737-200s) are currently categorized as inactive.
