Caught On Video: Westjet Boeing 737-800 Gear Collapse

On September 7th, a WestJet Boeing 737-800 landing at Sint Maarten had its right main gear collapse upon making contact with the runway. As a result, the aircraft's right engine scraped the runway as it came to a stop. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. It's not every day that something like this is caught on video. However, it looks like a daily plane-tracking live stream picked up the incident, whilst also promoting the leisure destination of Sint Maarten in the process. We can see that the landing was not level, and so the aircraft's full weight was on the right landing gear when it made contact with the ground. As noted at the introduction, the incident took place on September 7th with a 737-800. The jet is registered Charlie Golf Whiskey Sierra Romeo and was performing flight WS2276 from Toronto. The website avherald.com notes that 164 people were on board, and the crew managed to keep the aircraft on the runway, bringing it to a standstill supported by the nose gear, left main gear, and right engine case. The aircraft was then evacuated via slides. While no injuries were reported, it was noted that three individuals were taken for medical evaluation. Avherald also notes that the aircraft sustained damage to the right-hand wing. In case it wasn't already clear, the jet's return flight of WS2277 was cancelled. The airline issued a statement saying, "...WestJet Flight 2276, operating from Toronto, experienced a hard landing upon arrival at Princess Juliana International Airport, SXM, at 1729 UT." The following day, the Canadian TSB, or Transportation Safety Board, reported that they would be investigating the accident and had dispatched a team to St. Martin. Delivered to WestJet in 2009, the airframe is now a little over 16.5 years old. Planespotters.net data shows the aircraft has manufacturer serial number MSN 35288, while its line number is 2802. The jet, of course, remains on the ground at St. Martin, and there has not been any information regarding the full extent of the damage and how long it may take to repair. Not only would the aircraft need a new right-hand main landing gear assembly, but a new engine casing as well. On top of those components, we also have to wonder how serious the damage was to the underside of the right wing. Aircraft landing gear should be able to handle such forces, and it didn't look like a particularly hard landing, at least to us. Thus, it'll be interesting to see what investigators find during their work. What do you think of this incident? Let us know by leaving a comment.