• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Passengers safe after plane slides off runway

Adjust font size:

CLEVELAND, Ohio (CNN) -- A passenger jet skidded off a runway Sunday in Cleveland and smashed through a fence while landing in high winds and heavy snow, an FAA spokeswoman said. No one was injured.

Shuttle America Flight 6448 left the end of Runway 28 at 3:14 p.m. at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, said Laura Brown of the FAA.

The plane, carrying 70 passengers and four crew members, had had taken off from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. (Watch condition of the aircraft )

"For reasons unknown, the plane did skid off the end of the runway, taking out a localizer antenna array used for that runway, going through a fence line," said airport spokeswoman Pat Smith.

The antenna is used to help aircraft align with the center of the runway.

"The nose of the aircraft is resting just barely on a roadway that is on our perimeter fence line," Smith said.

Shuttle America spokesman Warren Wilkinson said the plane came to a stop about 100 feet past the end of the runway.

Although conditions on the runway were listed as fair at the time of the mishap, a heavy snow was falling, Wilkinson said.

Although operated by Shuttle America, the flight was part of the Delta Connection network, Wilkinson said.

CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras said winds of 21 mph were measured at the airport around the time of the incident.

Flights into and out of the Cleveland airport were halted for more than an hour after the mishap, Smith said.

A bus took the passengers to the terminal and arrangements were made for the jet to be towed to a hangar, Smith said.

Democrats celebrate as health care bill clears final hurdle The Senate health care bill cleared a third and final procedural hurdle Wednesday as Democrats successfully limited remaining debate time on the $871 billio ...

---

• The top tech 'fails' of 2009
• Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins split
• Gunmen has 5 hostages in Virginia post office
• Ex-employee kills two in shooting
• Fugitive updates Facebook page while on run

• 5 held hostage in Virginia post office
• Official: 2 die in La. office shooting
• Mom: Burned teen gets Christmas wish
• Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins split
• Ticker: Poll spells trouble for Lieberman

• Talkin' 'Icky Thump' blues (1:40)
• 'Why you treat yourself bad?' (3:15)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)
• Unseemly rap lyrics targeted (3:29)
• Now In The News (Updated: 12:17 p.m. ET)