Kelowna

Photo: Contributed - Robert Selby

A photo from the author, and passenger of flight 150, Robert Selby.

One of the passengers onboard WestJetflight 150 tells his story.

The Westjet flight was scheduled to leave at 7 a.m. to Edmonton so we were all onboard at about 630 a.m.  It was a completely full flight. 

We sat onboard for a long time (approx. 1 hour) waiting for plane to be de-iced.  Finally we were all happy when the plane started to move and taxi out to the runway, thinking we were finally on our way - most passengers were worried about catching connections in Edmonton to Toronto, Ottawa, etc.

Many passengers had fallen asleep at this point, but were awaken when they felt a bunch of bumps and skidding, like it was driving through the ditch and then the plane stopped.

After a while they told us what had happened and eventually brought a stairway to rear of plane to unload passengers. 

It took a while.  We all offered to get out and help push the 737 out of the ditch, but they didn't take us up on the offer. 

I think it was after 9 a.m. at this point - more than two hrs. on the plane to travel 100 metres.  Then we had to wait for bags to be unloaded and face the long lines to try rebook flights. 

Four hours after the event most of us are still stuck here at the airport waiting for flights as most flights were already sold out as people travelled back from the holidays.

The Westjet people at YLW were friendly and helpful as usual, but this sure was a bad start to the week for many of us. 

I have a group from Washington and Oregon flying in to Ontario today to meet me for tours of our Head office and factories where we build our machines.  I am supposed to pick them up at Toronto airport and drive them around so we are scrambling to make alternative arrangements.

I think Westjet should take all the passengers on the flight for a free trip to Mexico and the pilots should take some winter driving courses.  And of course check into some studded winter tires for the 737! LOL

From passenger Robert Selby.

Here is our video of the mishap.