WestJet flight cancelled after colliding with military aircraft at Comox airport

A WestJet flight getting ready to take off from the Comox Valley Airport collided with a parked military aircraft from 19 Wing Comox, tearing off a piece of its wing on Wednesday.

In statement to CTV News, WestJet says Flight WS346 was heading to Edmonton when it made contact with the military aircraft while taxing out for departure.

"All guests and crew were safely offloaded from the aircraft and there have been no reported injuries as a result of this incident," the Westjet statement said.

Andre Gagne, who was on the flight, heard the collision.

"I suddenly heard this commotion over my headphones from some of the other passengers," he said.

Gagne noticed other passengers looking out the windows on the side of the aircraft he was on and turned to look.

"Is that a wing, a piece of the wing on the runway?" Gagne said he wondered.

He said that a portion of the wing was sitting on the runway and he could also see that the military aircraft had a gouge in it.

Shortly after the collision, Gagne says the pilot came on over the intercom explaining that there was a miscommunication with the air traffic control who told them everything was clear for takeoff.

"The pilot ended up saying obviously it wasn't [clear]," added Gagne.

Airport officials told CTV News the passengers returned to the terminal to reschedule their trips to Edmonton, directing further questions to the Canadian Armed Forces.