There were plenty of witnesses on hand in Halifax early Sunday to document the hard landing of an Air Canada flight at the Stanfield International Airport on social media.

Witnesses and reporters had their phones out to snap photos and record video of a plane that skidded off the runway at around 12:45 a.m. with 138 passengers and crew aboard.

Photos show extensive damage to the side of the aircraft where one wing was torn completely off. The nose of the plane was also crumpled in the incident.

The plane hit a set of power lines on its way down, temporarily interrupting power to the airport.

Passengers fled from the aircraft as soon as it came to a stop and huddled on the runway in the cold and snow for about an hour before emergency crews arrived.

At least 23 passengers were treated in hospital for minor injuries sustained in the crash.