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HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) — Air Canada say 18 of the 23 people injured when one of its jets skidded off a runway last night have been released from hospital, and none of the injuries are considered life-threatening.
The Airbus 320 carrying 133 passengers and five crew members from Toronto made a hard landing in bad weather in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Canada's Transportation Safety Board is calling it an accident and has provided pictures that show the plane's nose torn off and what appears to be an engine crumpled under a damaged wing.
Passengers say the aircraft may have hit a power line as it came in to land and described the plane skidding on its belly for some time before it came to a stop. Power went off at the airport, but officials haven't confirmed the cause.
The Halifax region was under a snowfall warning at the time, with an Environment Canada alert saying, "Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow."
%@AP Links
026-a-12-(Peter Spurway, spokesman, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, at news conference)-"a great help"-Airport spokesman Peter Spurway says power was briefly knocked out. (29 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *026 (03/29/15)££ 00:12 "a great help"
028-a-08-(Peter Spurway, spokesman, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, at news conference)-"transported to hospital"-Airport spokesman Peter Spurway says there were some minor injuries. (29 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *028 (03/29/15)££ 00:08 "transported to hospital"
030-a-11-(Mike Magnus, businessman and Air Canada passenger, in AP interview)-"of the engines"-Passenger Mike Magnus says the Air Canada plane may have hit a power cord and suffered damage as it crash-landed in Halifax. (29 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *030 (03/29/15)££ 00:11 "of the engines"
031-a-12-(Mike Magnus, businessman and Air Canada passenger, in AP interview)-"part of it"-Passenger Mike Magnus says other passengers were screaming as the plane skid off the runway. (29 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *031 (03/29/15)££ 00:12 "part of it"
029-a-13-(Mike Magnus, businessman and Air Canada passenger, in AP interview)-"approached the runway"-Passenger Mike Magnus says he believes the plane severed a power line before making a crash landing. (29 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *029 (03/29/15)££ 00:13 "approached the runway"
025-a-16-(Peter Spurway, spokesman, Halifax Stanfield International Airport, at news conference)-"at this point"-Airport spokesman Peter Spurway says an Air Canada plane made an abrupt landing and left the runway in bad weather. (29 Mar 2015)
<<CUT *025 (03/29/15)££ 00:16 "at this point"
APPHOTO HAL507: This photo provided by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada shows a Air Canada Airbus A-320 at Halifax International Airport after making an "abrupt" landing and skidding off the runway in bad weather early Sunday, March 29, 2015. Officials said 23 people were taken to a hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries, none of which were considered life threatening. (AP Photo/The Transportation Safety Board of Canada) (29 Mar 2015)
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APPHOTO NY112: A Sunday, March 29, 2015 photo provided by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada shows a Air Canada Airbus A-320 at Halifax International Airport after an "abrupt" landing. The Airbus 320 skidded off the runway at the Halifax airport in bad weather, and officials said Sunday 23 people were taken to a hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries. None of the injuries were considered life threatening, Air Canada said. (AP Photo/The Transportation Safety Board of Canada) (29 Mar 2015)
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APPHOTO NY111: A Sunday, March 29, 2015 photo provided by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada shows a Air Canada Airbus A-320 at Halifax International Airport after an "abrupt" landing. The Airbus 320 skidded off the runway at the Halifax airport in bad weather, and officials said Sunday 23 people were taken to a hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries. None of the injuries were considered life threatening, Air Canada said. (AP Photo/The Transportation Safety Board of Canada) (29 Mar 2015)
<<APPHOTO NY111 (03/29/15)££
APPHOTO HAL104: Air Canada flight 624 rests off the runway after landing at Stanfield International Airport in Halifax, Canada on Sunday, March. 29, 2015. Air Canada says at least 22 people were taken to hospital. The flight had 132 passengers and five crew members. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Andrew Vaughan) (29 Mar 2015)
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APPHOTO HAL101: Passengers Randy Hall, left, and Lianne Clark, from Mount Uniacke, Canada stand waiting at an airport hotel after Air Canada flight 624 left the runway on landing at Stanfield International Airport in Halifax on Sunday, March. 29, 2015. Air Canada says at least 22 people were taken to hospital. The flight had 132 passengers and five crew members. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Andrew Vaughan) (29 Mar 2015)
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APPHOTO NY108: Fire trucks and an airport shuttle are on the scene at the Halifax International Airport early Sunday March 29, 2015 after an Air Canada flight from Toronto made an abrupt landing and left the runway in bad weather. The airline said early Sunday that at least 22 people were taken to a hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries. (AP Photo/Mike Magnus) (29 Mar 2015)
<<APPHOTO NY108 (03/29/15)££
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