Takeoff aborted at Yellowknife Airport
First Air flight to Hay River cancelled due to smell of smoke in cabin
Daron Letts
Northern News Services
Published Friday, July 25, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The pilot of a First Air ATR 72 aircraft carrying 14 passengers aborted a takeoff when smoke was detected in the cabin at Yellowknife Airport at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
"It was the smell of smoke, so the captain just shut down the engines as per standard operating procedures on that," said Mike Olson, First Air director of sales. "We deplaned the passengers and brought them back to the airport."
Firefighters with the airport's fire department boarded the aircraft and all passengers were evacuated by about 5:35 p.m., according to Department of Transportation spokesperson Megan Holsapple.
The passengers were shuttled to the terminal on the department's bus, she added.
"We were waiting to hopefully get them back on (the plane) to go to Hay River, but unfortunately we didn't have the crew to do that," said Olson.
The passengers were then given an opportunity to fly to Hay River the next morning on the company's regularly-scheduled 7 a.m. flight, he added.
First Air mechanics were still examining the plane yesterday afternoon to determine the cause of the smell.
"There was nothing evident," Olson said, adding the plane will not return to duty until the cause of the smell is found.
