New York City’s LaGuardia Airport was up and running, fully operational Tuesday after a plane skidded off the runway amid a landing gear snafu.
The Southwest Airlines plane had been flying in from Nashville, Tenn., when its nose dropped to the ground because of a faulty wheel release and it slid down the tarmac, onto a patch of grass. Ten were injured and of those, six went to the hospital for treatment, BBC reported. Six crew members were taken to another hospital for observation, The Associated Press reported.
“When we got ready to land, we nosedived,” said one passenger, in the AP report.
Thomas Bosco, acting director for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said pilots weren’t given any advance warning of a landing problem. He said the craft was attempting to land about 5:40 p.m. but “skidded down the runway on its nose,” AP reported.
The airport was closed for more than an hour, while the plane was moved to a nearby hangar. A Port Authority spokesman said the airport runways were back in operation by Tuesday morning.
The Port Authority reported 149 passengers on board. Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, put that number at 150, AP reported.
SEE ALSO: Southwest plane’s ‘bang and a bounce’ landing injures 10 at New York’s LaGuardia Airport
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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