PAL Airlines pulls plane out of service after it lost a wheel in two separate flights

PAL Airlines says it is pulling a plane out of service after it lost a wheel while departing from Goose Bay in Labrador on Thursday, the second such incident for the same plane in less than two weeks.

The flight Thursday was en route to Deer Lake in western Newfoundland, but it was diverted to St. John's and the airline says it landed safely without additional incident.

Spokesperson Joseph Galimberti says the Dash 8-400 also lost a wheel during a flight late last month.

Galimberti says PAL did extensive maintenance work on the aircraft after the wheel loss on Oct. 30, in accordance with guidance from the manufacturer, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada.

In a text message, he says PAL is completing wheel assembly inspections on the other Dash 8-400 planes in its fleet, out of an abundance of caution.

In the meantime, PAL is working with Transport Canada and De Havilland to figure out what caused the problem.

PAL Airlines is headquartered in St. John's and its website says it is one of the largest independent airlines serving eastern Canada and Quebec.

Galimberti said passengers on board Thursday's flight will be rescheduled on new flights to Deer Lake.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2026.

By Sarah Smellie | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.