Air Canada flight diverted to Winnipeg after mechanical problems

An Air Canada flight heading to Toronto from Fort McMurray was diverted to Winnipeg on Saturday after experiencing a mechanical problem.

Flight AC1196, with 96 passengers on board, took off from its Alberta base at about 10:40 a.m. CST and was expected to arrive in Toronto at 4:25 p.m.  

Just before 2 p.m. Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport staff began preparing for the diverted flight to land.

"We will get a call that says a flight is coming in. Then it depends why the flight is coming in, but our emergency response system always kicks in in those situations," said Tyler MacAfee, with the Winnipeg Airports Authority.

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Fire trucks and other emergency responders were waiting as the flight arrived. It landed normally at about 2:20 p.m.

The unscheduled landing was due to a mechanical problem related to an engine control throttle, an Air Canada spokesperson said in an email to CBC.

Passengers were being put on other flights to Toronto, Air Canada added.

Photographer Andrew Moir likes to spend his time near the airport to grab shots of planes. Through the lens of his camera, he saw the plane land and the fire equipment follow the aircraft to the end of the runway.

"There was a lot of emergency vehicles and fire trucks," Moir said.

He has seen a lot of planes land while he takes photos from St. James Rods Football Club and said the diverted flight was maybe a little bit more bumpy.

"It looked pretty smooth to me, no different than normal. But it must be scary for the passengers," he said.