WestJet Boeing 737-800 Damaged After Landing Gear Collapses During Landing In St. Maarten

On this past Sunday, September 7, one WestJet flight arriving at the famed Saint Maarten had a catastrophic failure of the right main landing gear. The Boeing 737-800 touched down at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) and slid to a halt with its right engine supporting the plane’s weight.

Fortunately the crew and passengers were all evacuated safely and there was no fire thanks to a quick response with preemptive fire suppression foam. The runway was closed temporarily but as the airport’s website shows now, flights are back on track.

A Scary Sunday For WestJet Flight 2276

The incident is still under investigation and little has been revealed as to the potential cause of the dangerous and violent mechanical failure that caused WestJet C-GWSR to crash land. The plane in question is an older model that was first delivered to the airline over 16 years agoas Planespotters.net outlines. The plane may very well have simply succumbed to parts fatigue, but if the landing was harder than normal, the exact cause may be more nuanced.

The Prime Minister or Sint MaartenDr. Luc Mercelina, has issued a statement following the incident:

“First and foremost, we are grateful that the passengers and crew of WestJet flight WS2276 are safe following today’s incident at Princess Juliana International Airport. The safety and security of travelers, our aviation personnel, and the general public remain our highest priority.”

“While the runway remains closed for the time being, every measure is being taken to ensure that the airport resumes safe operations as soon as possible. Together, we will ensure a safe and swift return to normal operations.”

Safety First For The Iconic Caribbean Hub

Saint Maarten Airport is famous for spectacular photos of aircraft on final approach over the tourist beach at its runway end, with photographers snapping shots of everything from Gulfstreams to Boeing 747s over the years. Runway 10 brings commercial jets and prop planes alike down low over Maho Beach, which is the same landing pattern that flight 2276 took on Sunday.

The runway itself is more than sufficient for a 737, Saint Maarten has a host of giant jets like the 747 and even the even larger Antonov An-124. Owing to the high air traffic volume, SXM has a highly capable team of emergency response crews, which demonstrated that on Sunday. Despite the dramatic approach that makes it a favorite among av-geeks, the field is not terribly restricted. SXM runway specifications according to AirNav.com:

The larger number of widebody, state-of-the art airliners constantly passing through SXM means the ground crews have to be trained for many scenarios, Sunday showed their high level or readiness. How the landing conditions may have played into the incident on Sunday is yet to be seen. Observations posted on various forums and aviation websites offer many opinions on the crash landing’s cause from poor handling by the pilots to parts failures, as on the Aviation Herald. Until the official government investigation is concluded, the rest remains speculative.

WestJet

The airline’s official statement in the aftermath of the incident did not offer any insight beyond that of the island’s government release. The airline has just announced its largest order of Boeing aircraft to date, as well as record high summer travel numbers before the crash landing at SXM took place.

Just one week prior, over the weekend of August 29 to September 1, WestJet set a new record for its highest weekend traffic to date. The Canadian carrier safely flew over 310,000 travelers across a record number of international destinations.

As part of its strategy to replace the aging planes in its fleet, like the 737-800 from Sunday, Westjet closed a deal for 60 new Boeing 737 MAX 10 stretched narrowbody jets and seven 787 Dreamliner widebodies from Boeing on September 3, 2025. The order includes an option for 25 more of the upcoming 737s as well.