A WestJet 737 was grounded in Kelowna on Saturday after being forced to make an emergency landing in the morning.
A WestJet spokesperson says that within 30 minutes of the flight leaving Vancouver, the pilots decided to declare the emergency.
The plane was en route to Edmonton when it made the unexpected stop just after 8 a.m.
A reported failure in one engine prompted the call to the Kelowna Fire Department.
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While it is not clear that the 84 passengers knew what was happening, it prompted emergency response crews on the ground to prepare for the worst.
The emergency call dispatched half a dozen fire trucks from Kelowna, Ellison and Lake Country to join airport fire crews responding to the potential emergency.
Kent Gregoire, duty manager at YLW, says the plane did not have any problems landing.
WestJet says it is not uncommon for their pilots to divert flights for possible emergencies. Spokesperson Robert Palmer says it is not standard procedure to tell passengers why the flight is being diverted.
Some passengers were rebooked on Saturday’s scheduled flights to complete their trip while others are being put up at local hotels for the night.
The possible engine failure is being investigated.
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