Go on Tortuga cam. It appears WestJet from Toronto had a hard landing and is at the end of the runway with slides deployed. No fire and it appears the passengers got off safely.

Airport closed…planes diverted to SJU

Right landing gear collapsed upon landing. Rewind cam to 13:29. I was watching at the time, scary to see.

Picture from my laptop.
You can go on the Tortuga cam and scroll back and watch it come in.

Appears fuel leak, foam deployed, right engine maybe on ground…passengers orderly down slides and on buses.

Looked like it was a hard landing or something, thankful everyone is okay. Seems like it will be a mess to clean up! Good luck to those on the outbound WestJet flight, guess they will need to send a second plane or something.

Are any planes able to land or take off? If not, I would hate to be on any of those planes.

The Airport is closed

Brief news report here:
https://airlive.net/incident/2025/0...t-sint-maarten-princess-juliana-airport/

I assumed that was the case. Glad everyone is safe, but it would be terrible to be 30 minutes away from landing and get diverted to another country.

All flights were diverted to San Juan with some of our customers.

Daily Herald story is online:
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...pjia-runway-after-landing-gear-collapses

Rumor has it noon things back working

A passenger posted on Facebook that they were "trapped" (my words) in the airport without luggage and no idea when they would get their luggage. That would be a rude greeting, for sure.

This statement posted september 7th-2026. 15 hrs ago.

Hope we find out whether the pilots hit the ground too hard or if maintenance forgot to keep something service.

Either way I’ve never flown Westjet and this don’t help their advertising for a future flight.✈️

Really scary stuff. Glad everyone was OK.

With the checked luggage in the hold they'll have to wait for the plane to be towed off runway which is first priority. When passengers have to deplane fast on the slides in an immergency they aren't supposed to grab overhead carry on luggage either but I read on Facebook some did. Putting others in danger.

This was just posted.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1164358395507339

Scuba - I watched them yesterday removing the checked baggage from the plane and then later on they slid the carry on luggage down the slides to be taken to the terminal.

Okay they just the engine lifted from the ground and placed on a flat bed trunk and getting ready to tow the plane ✈️ off the runway 👍🙏

The typical clowns, but this time, they aren't Americans LOL


https://www.mahobeachcam.com/ Looks like the engine was still attached? unless this is delayed? Just saw a crane move into position.

I just drove by at 10:40 (12 minutes ago). I wouldn't expect the airport to be open by noon. The jet is still in the same place (opposite Mary's Boon -- or, from the lagoon side, opposite Hertz rental car).

The plane is still listing to the right. When I drove by, I noticed that the right engine is inches from the tarmac, but not actually touching the runway.

I saw no evidence that an engine had been placed on a flatbed truck.

cam now shows it almost upright. Looks like its being lifted close to the wing spar. Progress.

So the radio commentary on https://www.mahobeachcam.com/ is a fin listen. "It looks like that side of the place is now being lowered onto the flat bed.


My armchair engineering input is they'll drive away with half the plane on a flatbed.

Watched them lift the wing on a stack of tractor tires on the back of a flat bed. It's been moved several yards...very slow. Now the cranes moved back in... Must be frustrating hard work...lots of "hands on hips"

So even the small planes are stranded until it clears the runway. No half runway usage. No activity on flightradar24.

Wonder if the ferries are packed. They must be making a killing.

To the Captain: Remember, there is also an airport in Grand Case, with flights to Martinique and Guadeloupe.

It’s moving now and the Runway Asphalt machines are standing by to make said repairs too

It doesn't look like it's moving to me...

It’s being moved Carol I’m right here on Island 🏝️

It's off the main runway. They got this done in just short of 24 hours. Bravo to all involved!

OK, I'm just looking at the Maho Beach cam, and if it's moving, it has to be moving VERY slowly.

Maybe what I was watching was delayed, as it is definitely moving now.

Its moving on Mahobeachcam. Looks like they put roller skates under the engine and they are now using the tow to push her back onto the apron LOL


And there is a Carribean Airlines from POS circling to land now... left about 2 hrs ago

It’s completely off from the Runway now and with the big damage done to the plane ✈️ it might have to be left on Island like way back with a big WinAir plane that became Airleerbek lol 😂

According to the Daily Herald, Minister of Tourism Grisha Heyliger-Marten said, "The airport ... assisted with hotel costs for passengers of other airlines [affected by the airport closure], while conversations will take place with WestJet for reimbursement.”

Here is the link to the article:
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...-crew-oversees-westjet-removal-operation

First plane just landed 🛬 👍😊

I wonder if they added something to that story after it was originally posted, as I don't remember reading that part of the story. Anyway, so thankful that no one was hurt, as this could have been a real life disaster with many injured or worse.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOVNEURjugy/?img_index=10

some good close up pics of damage
good pics here.

Stay tuned to Juan Brown, pilot extraordinaire, who will cover this in detail again when cause is determined.

look at this video on youtube, around 2:58 shows the move back off the runway.

I was only half kidding when I said I said they'd put the engine on roller-skates. Instead they propped the wing on a flatbed truck with black tires on it to support the wing. Love seeing the process.