Summary
- Engine stall forced Air Canada flight to turnaround after takeoff from Toronto Pearson Airport with 400 passengers on board.
- Pilot acknowledged ATC alert of flames coming from right engine before quickly landing aircraft back in Toronto.
- Replacement aircraft transported stranded passengers to Paris, causing a four-hour delay in return service to Toronto.
An Air Canada flight bound for Paris on Jun 5 experienced an alleged ‘compressor stall‘ on departure from Canada’s busiest airport. AC872 had just taken off from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) runway 23, bound for the French capital, Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG). Loaded with 400 passengers, the flight on Wednesday night quickly returned to the ground in Toronto, where emergency services and maintenance teams met it. Passengers were re-accommodated onto an alternative aircraft, and there were no reports of any injuries sustained onboard.
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying
Videos shared widely on social media note that the Boeing 777-300ER, registration C-FIUV, shows engine flashes appearing from its right-hand engine when the compressor stalled. As Air Canada advised in a statement, flames can be common due to various factors, including the flow of air through the engine, which causes fuel to ignite further, resulting in flames being seen from the aircraft.
16 year old Boeing 777-300ER
The aircraft returned to Toronto shortly after departing Pearson, and the airline was quick to commend the swift actions of the pilots in charge. Data from ch-Aviation identifies that the aircraft at the center of the drama, C-FIUV, is a 16-year-old Boeing 777-300ER, which joined the Star Alliance carrier in March 2008. It is configured in a three-class layout, with 40 business, 24 premium, and 336 economy class seats. Two General Electric GE GE90-115BL2 engines power the aircraft.
As reported by the Toronto Star, air traffic control recordings were quick to alert the Paris-bound aircraft of the flames. The ATC stated, “Air Canada 872, You’ve got a lot of fire. I’m not sure where it’s coming from.” The pilot was then quick to acknowledge the fact and responded, “Roger.” Air Canada has since taken the aircraft out of circulation while investigating the cause of the issue.
Photo: The Bold Bureau | Shutterstock
AC872
Initially having a scheduled departure time of 20:45, the aircraft eventually pushed back from the gate at YYZ at 21:20, with a scheduled arrival time in Paris at 10:10 the next morning. As the aircraft took off and encountered issues, the aircraft continued to climb to around 3,300 feet before returning to Pearson.
A replacement flight was scheduled for the stranded passengers. C-FIVQ, another 15.5-year-old 777-300ER on hand, was scheduled to travel to Paris. According to Flightradar24, it departed at 01:48 on June 6 and arrived at CDG that afternoon at 14:35. This meant that the return service, AC873, had a four-hour delay. It departed Paris at 17:04 instead of 13:00 and arrived back in Toronto at 18:32 instead of 15:15.
American Airbus A321 Diverts To Minneapolis Due To Engine Stall
The aircraft landed safely in Minneapolis.