An Air Canada plane made an "abrupt" landing and skidded off the runway at the Halifax airport in bad weather, and officials said Sunday 23 people were taken to a hospital for observation and treatment of minor injuries. The airline said Flight AC624, an Airbus 320 that left Toronto late Saturday, had 133 passengers and five crew members. Pictures provided by Canada's Transportation Safety Board showed significant damage to the plane with the nose torn off and what appears to be an engine crumpled under a damaged wing, AP reported. Passengers on board the plane said they believe the aircraft hit a power line as it came in to land and described the plane skidding on its belly for some time before it came to a stop. Power went off at the airport, but officials didn't confirm the cause. Passengers said they left the plane immediately but said they were left standing on the tarmac, some in their stocking feet, for more than an hour as they were lashed by wind-whipped snow before buses arrived. Air Canada said Sunday morning that 18 people who were taken to the hospital had been released. None of the injuries were considered life threatening, the airline said.
