An American Airlines aircraft slid off a runway into a grassy area after landing during snowy weather in the state of New York.
The incident happened with American Airlines' Flight Embraer E145 at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport on Thursday. The flight, carrying 53 passengers and three crew members, had just landed and was being taxied to the terminal around 4 PM when it slipped, FAA and American Airlines officials said.
The frightening incident was the result of "snowy airfield conditions" brought in by light snowstorms across the area, an American Airlines spokesperson said. Luckily, nobody was injured during the incident.
"Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience. Everyone on board deplaned safely and was transported to the terminal by bus," the spokesperson added.
A video shared on social media showed emergency service crews responding to the plane, with several firefighters escorting the passengers onto the snow-covered grass field.
JUST IN: *Nobody hurt* after American Airlines flight 5811 slid off runway 22 after landing in Rochester, New York. Embraer E145 operated by Piedmont. FAA says it will investigate. Video from passenger Mike Trickey. pic.twitter.com/6YmXxUCr5j
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) January 18, 2024
Meanwhile, a passenger on board the flight took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a picture of the plane sitting in the grass. "My @AmericanAir plane just ran off the runway into the grass at @ROCAirport. Happy landings," the passenger wrote on X.
The same passenger also shared a video that showed passengers deplaning down a metal stairway in the middle of a snowy field with firefighter assistance.
My @AmericanAir plane just ran off the runway into the grass at @ROCAirport. Happy landings. pic.twitter.com/CPG16leljd
— ML Trickey (@mltrickey) January 18, 2024
The American Airlines flight had come from Philadelphia International Airport, making a 300-mile journey and landing nearly an hour behind schedule, Flightaware data shows. It was lightly snowing in Rochester at the time of the slip. The area is expecting another round of heavy snowfall, with a major pummeling of two to four inches per hour over the weekend.
Several parts of the US, including the northeast, have been struck by dangerous winter storms in recent days. On Tuesday, airlines cancelled thousands of flights, causing confusion and chaos to travellers.
Over the last few months, there have been quite a few safety issues reported in the airline industry. Japan has witnessed two airport crashes this month. A Japan Airlines plane collided with a coastguard aircraft on the runway on Jan. 2 and erupted into flames. Earlier this week, two planes collided on a runway in Japan.
On Jan. 6, an Alaska Airlines flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon, experienced a shocking malfunction when the plane lost its plug door in mid-air, tearing headrests off seats and sucking items out of the aircraft.
