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04/26/2024 07:18:48 pm

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Delta Plane Skids Off New York Airport Runway, Crashes Into Fence

Delta Airlines

(Photo : Reuters) Delta flight 1086 is seen after it slid off the runway upon landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport March 5, 2015.

A Delta Air Lines plane skidded off the runway at New York's La Guardia Airport in the midst of a snowstorm Thursday.

All 127 passengers and five crew members on board were safely evacuated from the plane. 

Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangello said Delta Flight 1086, which flew from Atlanta, skidded upon landing in New York at around 11:10 a.m. The plane's nose slammed into a fence near Flushing Bay with a forceful impact.

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Emergency rescue teams immediately responded to the scene.  A man and two women --- one was wearing a neck brace --- were initially seen being taken out of the site onboard ambulances. The exact number of hurt passengers remains undetermined but authorities said there were no reports of major injuries.

In a statement, Delta said passengers deplaned through emergency slides and have been safely brought to the terminal. The company adds that it is doing everything it can to ensure the safety of all its customers and crew members.

The New York City Fire Department confirmed there had been a minor fuel spill, but the leak was immediately stopped and Environmental Conservation authorities had inspected the scene.

Snow had been continuously falling on New York throughout Thursday. Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye said the runway where Flight 1086 landed had just been plowed "literally minutes before" the accident.

However, pilots who landed ahead of the Delta plane reported "good braking action".

Robert Mark, a retired pilot, blamed the choice of the runway to be used for Delta's landing. Mark said at that time, the plane was apparently landing with a tail wind, explaining that aircraft is subject to the direction of the wind as it approaches the runway.

"[Planes] certainly want to be landing into the wind when the runway has something on it like snow, or ice, or water," Mark said. "And we may find that that becomes a contributing cause to this accident."

Officials say it is the Port Authority's responsibility to keep the runways clean, but the FAA tells pilots which runway is to be used.

While several experts have given their theories, the exact cause of the accident is still under probe.

The LaGuardia Airport was immediately closed following the incident, but was reopened at around 2:00 p.m. of the same day. 

Delta's stock was down more than 2 percent midday Thursday.

The Aviation Safety Network records showed the accident was Delta's first safety incident since December 2013.

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