‘We almost lost our lives’: WestJet passenger on flight to Sint Maarten demands answers following hard landing

Members of the flight crew are shown near a WestJet plane after a hard landing at Princess Juliana International Airport in St. Maarten in this Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025 handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Government of Sint Maarten

A Bolton, Ont. man is demanding answers about what caused an accident involving a WestJet flight from Toronto to Sint Maarten over the weekend that the airline has described as a “hard landing.”

The incident happened at around 1 p.m. ET as the plane landed at Princess Juliana International Airport.

No physical injuries were reported as a result but one of the passengers on the flight, Dave Beddows, told CTV News on Monday that it was a traumatic incident for those on board.

“We almost lost our lives,” Beddows said.

WestJet has said the flight “experienced a hard landing upon arrival at Princess Juliana International Airport” and that emergency slides were activated and all crew and passengers were “safely evacuated” before being taken to the terminal.

The airline, however, has not provided further details on the incident.

Beddows, for his part, said he was on board the WestJet aircraft with his wife, seated in the fourth row. As they were nearing Sint Maarten’s airport, Beddows said it felt like the descent was “pretty fast,” prompting him to give notice to his wife.

“I said, ‘You better brace your feet on the chair in front of you,’ and so we did thankfully,” Beddows recounted. “The plane seemed to sway back and forth a little bit, which, you know, that happens (…) but what was not normal is when I felt that we went over the point of landing.”

Beddows said the landing caught everyone “off guard” because there was no announcement “of a possible crash landing, or what they want to downplay it to a ‘hard landing’.”

The plane vibrated, teetering over to the right side at one point as the aircraft skid down the landing strip, Beddows said. While he can’t say for certain what caused the abrupt landing, Beddows thinks the way the plane had bounced somehow impacted the landing gear.

“It didn’t really feel like they had very much control over the plane,” Beddows said.

He says it was only after the landing that passengers were informed there were complications.

“No crap, you know, we could tell. We were informed to stay in our seats and tried to stay calm,” he said. Soon after, Beddows said he could see a puff of smoke billow from the side where the slides deployed, but the fire truckers on the ground extinguished it with some sort of foam.

After they got off the plane, Beddows said he and his fellow passengers were herded like cattle from one end of the airport multiple times, at one point being told they would not be receiving their luggage and carry-on items that day—a concern as they needed access to their diabetes medication. They spent about six hours at the Sint Maarten airport before they left for their resort 15 minutes away, with their belongings in tow.

“Thankfully, we’re here for the week but the poor people that have to leave, they’re stuck here,” Beddows said.

As is the case for John Tzanetakis, who remains stranded in Sint Maarten with his wife and eldest daughter after spending a 10-day-long vacation on the island.

“I can’t book because we don’t even know when the actual plane—the physical plane—is off the runway,” Tzanetakis told CTV News Toronto’s Rahim Ladhani on Monday. “It’s still on the runway, it’s not moving, so for sure we’re not going today.”

Tzanetakis says he is looking at flights with other airline carriers, but unless they want to have several layovers and a 30-hour flight, the earliest option for them is Wednesday.

“I try to make the best of it,” the Torontonian said. “I prefer to be at home right now because I have another daughter back home waiting for us. I don’t want to sound like a complainer, it is what it is.”

‘We have no choice, swim or fly’

Beddow and his wife are scheduled to return to Toronto this Sunday with WestJet.

“We have no choice, swim or fly. I’m not going to attack a little shark,” Beddows said.

In an email to Beddows, the Canadian airline acknowledged the “emotions” their passengers felt during such an “unsettling experience.” The email does not share what “incident” caused this rough landing, but it said their crew were able to safely stop the aircraft and safety training was executed with “professionalism.”

“We are grateful for these fast actions, and we are so deeply grateful to you and your fellow guests onboard for following emergency procedures and supporting the evacuation—your cooperation was essential to everyone’s safety,” the email reads.

In WestJet’s email, the airline notes David Powell, the airline’s Vice President of Airports, will be available to speak with passengers at Princess Juliana airport on Monday afternoon, as well as onboard flight WS2277 to Toronto on Sept. 14—the same flight Beddows will be on.

Beddows expressed his anger with WestJet to CTV News, saying that he wants to be provided with answers about what caused the emergency landing and whether they will receive any sort of compensation for the event.

“We’re extremely upset with WestJet. There has been absolutely no response from WestJet, nothing,” Beddows said.

“(T)he airlines need to feel more responsible and react with more care for the people they serve.”

CTV News Toronto contacted WestJet for additional comment.

Transportation Safety Board launching investigation into accident

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says it will be sending a team of investigators to lead a probe into the incident.

The circumstances that led to the hard landing are not clear.

“The TSB will gather information and assess the occurrence,” it said in a written statement, noting that the independent agency does not “assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.”

With files from CTV News Calgary’s Stephen Hunt and CP24’s Joanna Lavoie