American Airlines plane slips off snowy runway after New York landing
An American Airlines plane slipped off the runway after landing in Rochester, New York, amid snowy conditions.
The flight, which had come from Philadelphia International Airport, landed at New York’s Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport on Thursday.
While taxiing back to the terminal, it slipped on the icy runway and ended up off the icy runway.
A spokesperson for American Airlines told NBC the incident occurred ‘due to snowy airfield conditions’ and that no injuries were sustained in the incident.
One passenger told WHEC that the aircraft slid into the grass surrounding the runway.
“There was a big bump, and we were in the grass, then we waited a long time, someone got us off a bus, and now we’re here,” the passenger, Tory Weed, said.
Another passenger, Ethan Billings, said it felt “just like driving a car when you skid off the road a little bit.”
“We were just slowing down — I look out the window and we’re pretty far in the grass,” he said.
The plane was towed away and is now undergoing inspection.
“Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience,” American Airlines said in a statement. “Everyone on board deplaned safely and was transported to the terminal by bus.”
Meanwhile, the East Coast is set to return to more typical Winter temperatures following a brutal cold front earlier in the week.
Weather alerts are still in place in northern Maine, Mississippi, and Buffalo, New York, amid ongoing heavy snowfall.
The severe winter storms have unleashed chaos across the country, causing school closures and more than 10,500 flights were cancelled on Tuesday.
Multiple people have so far died as a result of the treacherous conditions in Oregon, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Wyoming.