El Al flight ELY008 which had departed at 1 AM Sunday local time from JFK International on its way to Israel, was forced to perform an emergency landing because of an indication of wheel fire, News 0404 reported. The plane landed in a snow-capped airport belonging to the Canadian Army in Goose Bay, eastern Canada. snowy field belonging to the Canadian army.
Rescue forces and local army emergency vehicles surrounded the plane as soon as it had stopped moving.
The Israeli passengers were ordered to stay on the plane due to the -4 Fahrenheit whether, and the fact that the military base does not have accommodations for stranded civilians.
A passenger onboard the plane told News 0404 that “the plane was trembling along the way and we felt a lot of shaking. Now we landed in a godforsaken place and were instructed to get off the plane, but immediately afterwards they decided we should stay because the outside is frozen. Everyone was in a panic.”
Later, the El Al pilot told the passengers that “the landing was carried out because of an indication of fire in the wheels.” He also informed them that “in this field there are no services for an airplane our size.”
It was also reported that the passengers had been told they had to remain onboard until a mechanic would arrive to check the problem.
Barracks are being prepared at the military base, in case the passengers are taken down to wait indoors.
