Indiana
Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s running mate, was unharmed when the
plane he was riding in slid off the runway while landing on a
rain-soaked Thursday evening at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport,
briefly prompting its closure.
Turbulent weather was credited for a bumpy approach that caused the Boeing 737 Eastern Airlines charter flight’s rough landing. The Associated Press reported
that the pilot slammed on the brakes, and passenger accounts relayed
that the smell of burning rubber was ominous. Several on board noted a
fishtail effect after the plane made contact with the runway.
All
passengers and crew safely departed the jet via the back of the plane,
but the situation could have been much worse. Two Port Authority
officials told ABC News that only the airport’s arresting bed of crushed
concrete kept the airliner from ending up on an adjacent highway. The National Traffic Safety Board said its first-response investigation team would be on-site Friday morning.
Live
video after the landing showed Pence speaking to first responders after
the plane, carrying 37 passengers, arrived from Fort Dodge, Iowa, where
he had participated in a campaign event. Bad weather in New York had
delayed the aircraft’s takeoff in Iowa.
The governor confirmed via social media that he was unharmed. Journalists covering Pence said there were no injuries.
“So
thankful everyone on our plane is safe. Grateful for our first
responders & the concern & prayers of so many. Back on the trail
tomorrow!,” he tweeted.
Pence told reporters on the plane, “We can see mud on the front windows.”
Trump
remained on the road in Ohio, eventually acknowledging in Geneva during
his final event of the day that Pence was in a “big accident with the
plane.”
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