WestJet flight bound for Terrace, B.C., lands safely after emergency

Passengers on a WestJet flight from Vancouver that declared an emergency this morning due to landing gear problems say there were moments of dread and fear as the plane circled above Prince George, B.C., with emergency personnel waiting on the runway.

"It was dread, it was like 'Oh my God, we're not going to land," recalled passenger Verena Plouffe.

WestJet Encore Flight 3105, which left Vancouver bound for Terrace at 8:36 a.m. PT today, was diverted from its flight path at 10:31 a.m. because of a potential problem with its landing gear, WestJet said.

Plouffe and fellow passenger Kristina McKenzie, who were travelling from Prince George to Terrace after a stop in Vancouver, said initially everything was calm on the plane when the pilot announced the detour.

There was a problem with the landing gear malfunction light, they were told, and Terrace wasn't equipped to deal with it.

The Bombardier Q400 arrived at Prince George about 11 a.m. local time. It made several low passes while emergency responders waited — and ground crews tried to get a look at the landing gear.

Emergency services said the nose gear of the Q400 was only half down. 

Seeing those emergency vehicles, and knowing that police had blocked vehicles on the nearby highway, made Plouffe and McKenzie fearful of the situation.

"Everything went quiet," said Plouffe, who texted her husband in that moment.

"You could see everyone texting their loved ones on their cell phones," said McKenzie, who texted her husband and mother.

The flight landed normally at 11:45 a.m., the airline said.

"[I'm] very relieved and thankful," said Plouffe. "It will probably hit me later."