Cargo plane skids off runway in Canada, leaving four injured

A Boeing 747 cargo plane has skidded off a runway while landing at an airport in Canada, leaving four people injured.

The SkyLease Cargo left a trail of debris as it overshot the runway at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia this week. 

Airport spokeswoman Theresa Rath Spicer said the plane wound up on a slight incline far off the runway, about 50 metres from a fence marking the airport perimeter. 

“It did land and then overshot the runway,” Ms Rath Spicer told the Montreal Gazette. 

“There were four crew on board at the time. They were removed from the aircraft and transported to hospital with what are described as minor injuries.”

Airport fire crews quickly extinguished a small fire at the plane’s tail, she added.

Halifax fire deputy chief Roy Hollett said crews dug a trench around the plane to guard against a fuel leak.

“Everything they can do has been done for anything emergency related,” he said. 

“All the hazards are contained and controlled.”

Pictures show the nose of the white aircraft had moderate damage, while the underside of the plane appeared to be cracked.

The fuselage was also bent  and two engines were sheared off completely.

It is not clear what caused the accident, with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigating. 

Local media reports two other planes have crashed during take-off or landing at the Halifax airport since 2004.

With AP