Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport - Incidents and Accidents

Incidents and Accidents

• On July 23, 1983, Air Canada Flight 143 (now known as the Gimli Glider), a Boeing 767 trying to reach Winnipeg as an alternate, was forced to make an emergency landing in Gimli, Manitoba after running out of fuel. No one was injured. This incident was the subject of the book, Freefall, by William Hoffer and the subsequent TV movie, Falling from the Sky: Flight 174, starring William Devane.
• On March 3, 2007, British Airways Flight BA289, a Boeing 747 flying from London Heathrow Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, made an unscheduled landing at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport after a passenger became unruly when he was refused alcohol. The passenger was charged with mischief, causing a disturbance and failing to comply with instructions from the flight crew. The aircraft sat on the tarmac for two hours before resuming its trip to Phoenix.
• On June 19, 2007, a Northwest Airlines Boeing 747 cargo plane en route from Wilmington, Ohio to Anchorage, Alaska made an emergency landing at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport after reporting a fire inside the airplane. No one was injured. After cleanup, an unrelated engine problem forced the 747 to remain in Winnipeg, leaving a week later on three engines.
• On August 1, 2007, British Midland Flight BD752 flying from Las Vegas to Manchester, England was diverted to Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport after a 19-year old male passenger failed to comply with crew instructions. The passenger was charged with mischief, uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, and failing to comply with the flight crew's instructions. The Airbus A330 flight resumed two hours after being diverted.
• On April 18, 2008, a WestJet Boeing 737–700 aircraft en route from Hamilton to Calgary carrying 106 people including crew had to make an emergency landing at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport because of a potential hydraulic issue. The airliner landed without incident and no one was injured as a result.
• On February 9, 2009 the airport had to close for a few hours due to an ice storm, the first time since 1986 that the airport has shut down operations. Runways were "deiced" to permit limited use by the afternoon.
• On March 3, 2009, a Perimeter Airlines (Aviation) Metroliner airliner flying back from St. Theresa Point with 10 people on board, "belly landed" due to problems with its landing gear. It landed safely, "gear up" and none of the passengers and crew on board were injured.
• On September 17, 2009, Air Canada Flight 122, an Airbus 319 from Calgary to Toronto encountered a problem with its left engine. The A319 made an emergency landing at Winnipeg with 121 passengers and crew on board. None of the passengers and crew on board were injured.
• On October 9, 2009, United Airlines Flight 6648 from Denver landed and was taxiing when it skidded off into the grass due to blowing snow at the airport which caused poor visibility. All 35 passengers and crew were safe but the airport had to close one of two runways due to the incident. It took 18 hours to remove the airliner from the snow. In a separate incident the same evening, an Air Canada Jazz aircraft reported hitting a number of birds shortly after takeoff. The crew turned back to Winnipeg and landed safely. An initial investigation found minor damage on the Air Canada aircraft.
• On October 25, 2010, a United Airlines Boeing 777 made a successful emergency landing in the afternoon after the pilots reported smoke in the cockpit. The flight was from Chicago en route to Shanghai. Everyone on board was fine.
• On December 15, 2011, Delta Air Lines Flight 180 from Shanghai to Detroit made a successful medical emergency landing, making it the first Boeing 777 to the new main terminal.
• On July 19, 2012 Air France Flight 84 flying from Paris to San Francisco had to make a medical emergency diversion at Winnipeg International Airport due to an ill passenger on board. It was the first Boeing 747 to visit the new main terminal.