Air Canada Flight AC774 veered off a taxiway after landing at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport on Thursday afternoon. None of the 156 passengers on board was injured, and all six crew members were safely deplaned and taken to the terminal by bus.
The aircraft came to a stop in the grass after the excursion. Runway 6L/24R was closed for several hours while the north runway handled the airport's remaining movement, then reopened around 9:45 p.m.
Flight AC774 at YUL
FlightRadar24 data showed AC774 landed just before 4 p.m. on Runway 6 Left before turning onto Taxiway B1. Air Canada said the flight had “landed normally” before the “taxiway excursion,” a sequence that leaves the landing itself and the later turn as separate parts of the event.
The aircraft was a Boeing 737 MAX flying from Los Angeles. Passengers were moved to the terminal by bus after the evacuation, and Air Canada said the aircraft had been scheduled to fly to San Francisco on Thursday evening and back to Montreal on Friday morning.
NAV Canada at Montréal
NAV Canada warned of “delays affecting flights at YUL this evening due to reduced runway availability following an aircraft incident and weather in the region.” It also said, “Our team is moving aircraft safely and as quickly as possible,” as the airport worked with fewer runway options than usual.
The cancelled San Francisco flight and the return leg to Montréal removed the aircraft from service for the rest of Thursday and into Friday morning. For passengers booked on those trips, the immediate next step was to wait for Air Canada’s replacement arrangements or rebooking process.
Air Canada investigation
Air Canada said, “Air Canada is undertaking a detailed investigation into this incident, and will work with relevant authorities to determine the cause.” That investigation now sits at the center of the event, because the cause has not yet been determined and the runway disruption has already spread beyond one flight.
What caused Air Canada Flight AC774 to veer off the taxiway after landing is the question that still governs the rest of the response.
