Yet another winter storm system was the least of the worries for travellers headed to Nova Scotia late Saturday night.

Travellers waiting for flights at Halifax Stanfield International Airport first reported power outages between 12:30 and 1 a.m. AT.

Short power trip at the Halifax Airport. Wheeled out "blue mattresses(?)" earlier. Hasn't stopped snowing for hours. <a href="http://t.co/YV7IQABB10">pic.twitter.com/YV7IQABB10</a> —@ChrisEnsingCBC

Not long after that, CBC reporter Chris Ensing received word that a plane had crash landed on the runway during landing.

Parents at HFX airport say son called to tell them plane crashed on runway. He said possible minor injuries. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCns?src=hash">#CBCns</a> <a href="http://t.co/seYXol8zb9">pic.twitter.com/seYXol8zb9</a> —@ChrisEnsingCBC

Greg Wright was at the airport to pick up his 13-year-old son.

When Wright's son called him and said the plane had crashed on the runway, he first thought it was a joke.

More from father waiting with wife for teenage son <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cbcns?src=hash">#cbcns</a> <a href="http://t.co/gwcJByCKj1">pic.twitter.com/gwcJByCKj1</a> —@ChrisEnsingCBC

One passenger reported seeing a flash of light and other passengers noticed power cut out at the airport below. That's when the plane hit the ground, bounced, struck the ground again and crash landed.

"It went BANG" - passengers describe the incident. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CBCns?src=hash">#CBCns</a> <a href="http://t.co/8txzbnTjWr">pic.twitter.com/8txzbnTjWr</a> —@ChrisEnsingCBC

While most people referred to the event as a crash landing, Air Canada called it an "incident," with airport officials saying it was an "abrupt" or "hard" landing.

An aircraft has made an abrupt landing. No reports of injuries and details to come. —@HfxStanfield

Some people on Twitter took issue with the terms being used in statements from the airport and Air Canada.

Air Canada AC624 crash lands in Halifax, at least 23 sent to hospital <a href="http://t.co/5k4XfHMiME">http://t.co/5k4XfHMiME</a>. Hard landing? Crash? <a href="http://t.co/onlwDFeei1">pic.twitter.com/onlwDFeei1</a> —@Virgilsson

So interesting how different <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/media?src=hash">#media</a> use different rhetoric, from "hard landing" to "slid off the runway" to "crash landed". <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirCanada?src=hash">#AirCanada</a> —@JessLReid

Meanwhile, it was reported that 23 of the 132 passengers on the flight were sent to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries sustained in the crash.

Around 8 a.m. AT Sunday, Air Canada tweeted that 18 of those 23 passengers were released from hospital. No word on the extent of injuries.

Update 5 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AC624?src=hash">#AC624</a>: 18 of 23 passengers released from hospital. Further updates will be provided when new information becomes available. —@AirCanada

The landing is under investigation by federal authorities and the exact cause is unknown, but some people on social media expressed concerns over air travel safety.

<a href="https://twitter.com/arjunathimurthi">@arjunathimurthi</a> I don't think <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flying?src=hash">#flying</a> has ever seemed scarier. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirCanada?src=hash">#AirCanada</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Germanwings?src=hash">#Germanwings</a> —@amyma_

So many plane problems I'm literally scared to go on holiday... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/planecrash?src=hash">#planecrash</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Plane?src=hash">#Plane</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirCanada?src=hash">#AirCanada</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Airbus320?src=hash">#Airbus320</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Airbus320?src=hash">#Airbus320</a> —@Sakiyul

How am I suppose to fly knowing a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirCanada?src=hash">#AirCanada</a> flight crashed in Halifax�� <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AC624?src=hash">#AC624</a> —@KayleneLegge

But as operations resumed and flights started moving again at the Halifax airport, some passengers expressed confidence in their safety flying out of the airport the same day.

Probably not going to happen twice - My mom in response to an airplane crashing at the airport she's leaving from today <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AirCanada?src=hash">#AirCanada</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Halifax?src=hash">#Halifax</a> —@joy_hawley