Cargo jet removed after sliding off runway at Vancouver airport

By The Canadian Press on November 21, 2024.

An Amazon Prime Air Boeing 767-338 sits on the grass after overrunning the runway, at the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond B.C., on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. A Boeing 767 cargo jet which went off a runway at Vancouver International Airport was safely removed Thursday afternoon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

RICHMOND – A Boeing 767 cargo jet that went off a runway at Vancouver International Airport has been safely removed.

Vancouver International Airport says the north runway will remain closed until further notice as systems and infrastructure are assessed.

The aircraft went off the runway after landing Tuesday afternoon, though none of the three crew members aboard were hurt.

The Amazon Prime Air jet remained in the grass off the runway nose down, with both engines on each of the mud-splattered wings touching the ground.

The airport authority says after the Transportation Safety Board granted permission to access the site on Wednesday, it had been offloading cargo, setting up cranes to lift the aircraft, and dispatching tow crews to transport it to a nearby hangar for cleaning and further inspection.

The airport says teams from several organizations were involved in the removal efforts, including the Transportation Safety Board, Cargojet and Air Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.