5 injured after Air Canada Express plane struck by fuel tanker at Pearson

An Air Canada Express plane was struck by a fuel tanker truck at Toronto’s Pearson Airport early Friday morning, leaving five people with injuries.

At 1:36 am on Friday, May 10, after clearance to taxi to the gate in Toronto, Air Canada Express flight AC8615 was struck by a fuel truck, according to a spokesperson for Jazz Aviation.

Following the incident, the aircraft came to a full stop and the crew deplaned passengers quickly and they were escorted into the terminal building.

Airport emergency services arrived to assess passengers and crew, and three crew and two passengers were transported to a hospital for further assessment. All five have since been released.

The aircraft was a Dash 8-300 with 50 passengers and three crew members onboard.

“Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew,” said the spokesperson.

The aircraft and vehicle were also removed from the tarmac and the scene has since returned to normal operations, according to a statement from Greater Toronto Airports Authority.

Additionally, there was no operational impact at the airport. The Transportation Safety Board has been notified and an investigation is being conducted.

At 1:36a.m. an Air Canada Jazz aircraft came into contact with a Menzies fuel truck while taxiing on the apron. Airport emergency services responded. Passengers and crew evacuated safely to T1. The aircraft and vehicle were removed & no operational impact at the airport.

— Toronto Pearson (@TorontoPearson) May 10, 2019

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However, according to a passenger on board the flight, travellers, including three infants, were left on the tarmac while flight crew members were “whisked away.”

Following the incident, the passenger said Air Canada staff also appeared to have “no incident response skills or training.”

@AirCanada @TorontoPearson Not happy with the response to the crash of #AC8615 into a fuel truck while landing. Air Canada staff appeared to have no incident response skills or training. Crew was whisked away, and PAX left on the tarmac, including 3 infants. #aviation #aircrash

— Arr Lambert (@thenoodlecanon) May 10, 2019

Air Canada said the incident is now undergoing a “thorough” investigation.

Daily Hive reached out to Peel Police for a statement but has yet to hear back at the time of publication. 

Editor’s note: An earlier report labelled this flight as an Air Canada Jazz plane, but according to a representative, Air Canada Jazz no longer exists. It is now called Air Canada Express.