EX Qantas 767 crashes in Vancouver

PRIME AIR BOEING 767-319 N347AZ (MSN 26264)

Runway 08L at Vancouver International Airport will remain closed for several days following an incident where a jet carrying Amazon packages overshot the runway early Tuesday morning.

The Prime Air Boeing 767-300, previously flown by Qantas and currently operated by Cargojet, veered off the eastern end of the north runway upon landing at approximately 1:45 a.m. The three crew members on the flight that was traveling from Hamilton-John Munro International Airport, ON (YHM/CYHM) to Vancouver International Airport, BC (YVR/CYVR) were unharmed and exited the aircraft safely, according to a YVR spokesperson speaking to CTV News.

Tamara Vrooman, the airport's president and CEO, briefed the media on the event and its effects on airport operations during a Tuesday afternoon press conference. Vrooman reported that the airport was alerted by the control tower about the aircraft's need for an emergency landing. The specifics prompting this alert are under investigation by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

"We are actively participating in the investigation, providing all available information alongside the operator, pilots, control tower, and all parties involved, and we are awaiting the outcome of this inquiry," stated Vrooman.

The aircraft's removal will commence after the TSB concludes its investigation, leaving the timeline for the runway's reopening uncertain.  "At this point, we anticipate it may take several days or possibly longer to remove the aircraft since it is situated on grass, it's heavily laden, and we need to unload the cargo," Vrooman elaborated.

Despite the runway's closeness to a major road and shopping center, Vrooman assured that there was no danger of the aircraft sliding out of the airport's perimeter.

"Our perimeter security is robust," she affirmed.

There were no flight cancellations on Tuesday, with Vrooman noting that only about five percent of the 600 flights scheduled to arrive at or depart from YVR were delayed.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Cargojet Airways (for Prime Air)

Code: W8/CJT

Aircraft: Boeing 767-338

Registration: C-GAZI

Serial Number: 25576

Engines: 2 x GE CF6-80C2B6

First Flew: 2nd August 1994

Age: 30 Years Old

West Jet Canada took delivery of the Qantas 767 back in December 2015

Cargo Jet / Prime Air took delivery in July 2021

QANTAS BOEING 767-338 VH-OGN (MSN 25576)