WestJet flight carrying 58 makes emergency landing in Nanaimo after smoke spotted on board

A WestJet Encore flight travelling from Vancouver to Nanaimo made an emergency landing at its destination after smoke was spotted in the cabin on Tuesday.

Flight 3161, a Bombardier Q400 that was carrying 56 guests and two crew members, was in the air when the smoke was noticed in both the cabin and the flight deck as it approached the Nanaimo Airport (YCD), WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart said in an email.

Coverage of WestJet on Globalnews.ca:

1:50 WestJet’s new low cost carrier to take off from Abbotsford

• WestJet’s new low cost carrier to take off from Abbotsford
• Woman in flip flops films evacuation from WestJet flight after incident at Pearson Airport
• WestJet Link will connect Lethbridge to network hub at Calgary airport
• WestJet ‘Swoops’ into ultra-low cost carrier air space
• WestJet pilots unionize their cockpits.

Previous Video

Next Video

The flight’s crew then declared an emergency so the plane could receive priority landing at the Nanaimo Airport, and so that emergency vehicles could be positioned in place.

All passengers were evacuated into the terminal once they arrived.

“We appreciate and recognize that this would be an unsettling experience for all involved and we apologize to our guests for this,” Stewart wrote.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We appreciate and recognize that this would be an unsettling experience for all involved and we apologize to our guests for this," Stewart wrote.

No one was injured, and everyone moved on to their destinations, Nanaimo Airport president and CEO Mike Hooper told Global News.

The plane was scheduled for a maintenance inspection and three subsequent flights, from Nanaimo to Vancouver, Vancouver to Comox and Comox to Vancouver, were all cancelled.

The Transportation Safety Board is now investigating the incident.