The number of injured in the plane-skidding incident at New York’s LaGuardia Airport rose from four to 10 on Tuesday as investigators with two federal agencies flocked to the scene.
The airport was temporarily shut on Monday evening after a plane’s nose wheel collapsed during landing, sending the craft skidding along the runway.
Airport General Manager Tom Bosco said the Boeing 737, operating as Southwest Airlines Flight 345, ultimately came to rest in a patch of grass, BBC reported. One passenger described to CNN the event as “a bang and a bounce and then just a slam on the brakes and then it was a skidding feeling.” Others described it as a rough landing.
Emergency crews responded immediately and began spraying foam on the plane’s nose to prevent fire. The airport was shut for a time but reopened within hours, BBC reported.
Six of the 10 who were injured were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Their condition on Tuesday was still unknown, but BBC reported their injuries as minor. Lisa MacSpadden, a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, which operates the airport, said the victims reported back and neck injuries.
Crew members were also transported to the hospital for observation, Ms. MacSpadden said in the BBC report.
The plane came from Nashville and was carrying 143 passengers and six crew members. Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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