Plane Slides in Snow Off Runway at JFK; No Injuries

NEW YORK (AP) —

A plane slid into snow as it turned onto a taxiway after landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday, halting flights for two hours and causing residual delays.

“It could have been worse, a much worse scenario,” Jordan Houlton told reporters after he emerged from Delta Connection 4100 along with 34 other passengers and crew members about 90 minutes after the slippery diversion.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said there was no immediate report of injuries after the plane landed safely at 8 a.m., only to lose its footing and slide into snow as it turned from the runway onto a taxiway.

The plane was then towed to a gate with passengers on board, she said.

Houlton, a 27-year-old teacher in Mexico, said he managed to sleep through the slide and didn’t learn until later that the plane had skidded off course.

“I was sleeping. I woke up and it was 9:30,” Houlton said. “A police officer came on to make sure everyone was okay. Luckily, everyone was okay. It was kind of wild. I still can’t believe it.”

The Port Authority, which operates the airport, said flights were suspended for about two hours because of slick runways, leaving passengers at crowded gates. They resumed after 10 a.m. on two of the four runways.

The landing came two days after a major snowstorm dumped a half foot of snow in New York City, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and stranding passengers both in the city and throughout the world who were heading to New York. Passengers from canceled flights continued to fill the few remaining seats on many already crowded planes.

To Read The Full Story

Are you already a subscriber?
Click to log in!