Late in the evening on April 20, 2016, an Air Canada passenger plane, crash landed at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador
The weather conditions at the time of the attempted landing in Gander were unfavourable. Snow and windy conditions had plagued Newfoundland for much of the day due to a late spring blizzard that brought close to 50 cms of snow and high winds to most of the Province.
The Air Canada Flight, AC7804, operated by Exploits Valley Air Services was arriving from Goose Bay when it crashed upon landing. Initial media reports said that of the 14 passengers and 2 crew members on the plane, three people were taken to hospital but later released. All three passengers managed to disembark from the aircraft under their own power. Passengers later stated that they waited upwards of 20 minutes outside after the crash before emergency services and personnel reached the aircraft. The plane apparently suffered damage to its landing gear when it touched down. The exact cause of the crash is as yet undetermined.
Some passengers have made comments to the media that they were somewhat prepared for the possibility of a rough landing due to the weather conditions. The passengers were advised that if landing could not be attempted at Gander, the flight would divert to Deer Lake for landing. One passenger said later that it was his understanding that the AC Flight7804 was the only plane that attempted to land in Gander due to the stormy conditions.
A review of the meteorological data appears to indicate that the spring storm which affected much of Newfoundland and Labrador was at or near its peak shortly before the passenger plane, a Beechcraft 1900 model, attempted to land at the airport.
The Nova Scotia class action lawyers at Wagners have experience dealing with aviation incidents and are counsel for the passengers in the proposed class action lawsuit which Wagners filed as a result of the crash on landing of Air Canada Flight 624 in similar weather conditions on March 29, 2015 at the Robert L Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia. Wagners also represented the victims, and their families, with respect to the 2004 crash of an MK Airlines at the same airport in Halifax.
We believe that the civil justice system plays an important role in advocating for improvements in aviation safety. Passengers often want to make sure that the lessons learned by an airline after an accident are used to improve aviation safety and prevent future accidents. In that manner, Wagners consider class action lawsuits to be a powerful instrument for change.
If you or a loved one was a passenger on the Air Canada flight AC7804 that crashed during the evening of April 20, 2016 in gander, please feel free to contact one of the lawyers at Wagners today to discuss the crash and learn about your options.