Close Call in Rochester: American Airlines Plane Slides Off Runway in Winter Weather
New York: A total of 53 individuals were safely evacuated after an American Airlines flight skidded off the runway at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport in New York on Thursday. The incident occurred as the plane, arriving from Philadelphia, slid off the runway due to snowy weather conditions.
An eyewitness, identified as ‘ML Trickey,’ shared a video on social media depicting the aftermath of the incident. The footage showed passengers being escorted out of the aircraft, which was surrounded by a thick layer of snow. Despite the unsettling experience, none of the 50 passengers and three crew members on American Eagle 5811 flight reported injuries.
In a statement to People, the airline attributed the incident to “snowy airfield conditions” and emphasized that safety remains its top priority. Passengers and crew were safely transported to the terminal on a bus after disembarking.
American Airlines assured that the aircraft would undergo a thorough inspection after being towed from the taxiway. Fox Weather reported the temporary closure of at least one runway at Rochester airport as crews attended to the aircraft, which boasts a total of three runways.
The United States is currently grappling with severe winter weather, marked by continuous storms and deadly blizzards. The challenging conditions have resulted in at least 50 weather-related deaths, with widespread disruptions in travel, school closures, and power outages. The country is bracing for a harsher cold wave over the weekend, extending the impact of the brutal winter season that has reached even into typically milder southern regions.
