Airline cites snowy conditions for plane skidding off runway at Rochester airport
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – No one was hurt when an airplane skidded off the runway at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport Thursday. It happened just before 4 p.m.
Fifty passengers and three crew members were onboard. They were moved off the plane and transported to the airport terminal on buses, where they were making arrangements to have their luggage sent to them.
A spokesman for the airport says the plane, an AA Flight 5811 from Philadelphia, landed safely, but while turning, veered into the grass. American Airlines said in a statement that the plane exited the taxiway while in transit to the terminal due to snowy airfield conditions.
Passengers say it was very quickly surrounded by emergency personnel who went straight there to make sure that everyone was OK.
“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,” Tory Weed, a passenger, said at the airport.
“Just like driving a car when you skid off the road a little bit,” passenger Ethan Billings said. “We were just slowing down — I look out the window and we’re pretty far in the grass.”
BREAKING: An @AmericanAir plane has slide off the runway at @ROCAirport. 53 people on board, no one is injured. Looks like passengers will have to be bussed back to the terminal. @news10nbc pic.twitter.com/ZWu8hvw02U
— Jennifer Lewke (@WHEC_JLewke) January 18, 2024
A few flights have landed since the plane skidded but some flights have been delayed or canceled because one of the runways is closed for clean-up. You can check on the most recent status of flights here.