Air Canada passengers suffered a frightening scare and 13 hour delay on Monday after a pilot cancelled take-off halfway down the runway due to a mechanical problem, and the replacement jet was also found to have a fault.

The 1 p.m. flight to Toronto on Monday ground to a halt on the runway after the pilot slammed on his brakes because of a technical problem.

Passengers were told to return for a replacement jet at around 9 p.m., but were dismayed to be told that that, too, had developed a problem.

Bermuda International Airport was kept open until after 2 a.m. yesterday and the replacement plane eventually took off at 2.11 a.m. after it was repaired.

But another group of passengers had to wait for the scheduled 1 p.m. flight yesterday before they could get to Canada.

An Air Canada spokeswoman confirmed yesterday that both jets developed mechanical problems, but did not specify what they were.

The father of a Bermudian student who was travelling to Canada to go to school said he was alarmed that both planes had mechanical problems.

And he said his son described how some passengers screamed when the pilot suddenly hit the brakes.

The man, who asked not to be named, told The Royal Gazette yesterday: “The plane was going down the runway at about 150 miles per hour and people were screaming after the pilot slammed on the brakes.

“Apparently the brakes were overheating and fire trucks rushed onto the runway. One young man was hyperventilating and his mother had to take him home. It was a very eerie feeling to go to the airport a second time and get the explanation that both planes had mechanical problems. There were a lot of people concerned that it had gone off the runway and it was a very harrowing experience.

“The local Air Canada staff did a tremendous job for the passengers, but they didn't seem to get the support from Toronto.”An Air Canada spokeswoman in Bermuda said yesterday: “The flight did develop mechanical problems and there was a replacement aircraft that also developed mechanical problem, but the replacement plane did take off at 2.11 am.”Airport acting general manager Lester Nelson said the original jet had a “small” mechanical problem, but he did not have information about what happened to the second plane.

“It was quite a bit of time between the first delay and the other plane taking people out. People were upset but the pilots have to make safety decisions and people need to realise that,” said Mr. Nelson.