Air Canada plane diverted to Vancouver after engine shuts down mid-flight

An Air Canada flight travelling from Vancouver to Anchorage, Alaska, was diverted mid-flight due to what the airline called an “engine shutdown.”

Air Canada flight 538 left Vancouver International Airport (YVR) with 112 passengers on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. PT.

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The Airbus 320 plane had been flying for just under an hour when it diverted back to Vancouver at about 2:11 p.m., while travelling at around 26,000 feet, according to FlightAware, a plane-tracking site.

The plane encountered an “engine shutdown” and “landed normally,” Air Canada said.

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The flight then took off once more with another aircraft.

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“Aircraft are designed to fly on one engine and Air Canada’s pilots are highly skilled professionals who are trained for such situations,” Air Canada said in a statement.

“The aircraft is currently out of service and being inspected by our maintenance professionals.”

Brandon Edwards was flying to Anchorage for the American Ornithological Society’s annual meeting and conference when the plane was diverted.

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He said flight attendants were about three-quarters of the way through serving food when they “quickly put the carts away.”

Then they were called to the front of the plane for a meeting, he added.

Later, the captain came on the intercom and informed passengers that they were turning around.

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“I personally didn’t notice anything ‘wrong’ save for some odd, repetitive noises,” he said.

Edwards later arrived in Anchorage at around 8 p.m.