A passenger plane at Newcastle Airport has overshot the runway.
The incident happened just before 2100 GMT when the aircraft travelled a short distance past its runway stop position, Northumbria Police said.
Passengers were allowed to leave the Thomson Fly Boeing 737-800 and no injuries have been reported.
The aircraft, carrying 188 passengers and one infant, was returning from Arrecife in Lanzarote. The airport has reopened.
‘Plane shuddered’
An airport spokesperson said the Thomson plane, which is operated by TUI, was towed away from the runway and was UNdamaged.
Allen Young, a passenger on the plane, said he thought the incident was a result of poor weather conditions.
“The pilot indicated we would not be able to land and we circled for 10 minutes until the runway was cleared with a snow plough. Twenty five minutes later we started to descend after circling.
“The plane started to shudder after we hit the runway. The pilot was putting on the brakes… we quickly realised we were over the front of the runway and the front end of the plane was in the field.
“People didn’t realise how serious it was until we got off the plane,” he said.
A statement from Newcastle Airport said: “We can confirm that at approximately 2100 this evening a Thomson Fly Boeing 737-800 aircraft came to a halt at the eastern end of the Newcastle International Airport runway.
‘Very slightly off’
“The aircraft was returning from Arrecife. The front nose wheel of the aircraft remained on the hard surface of the runway at all times.”
Northumbria Police said: “At 2059 Northumbria Police were informed that an aircraft had on landing travelled a short distance past its runway stop position before coming to a controlled halt.
“Passengers were disembarked and there are no reports of any injuries.”
Tyne and Wear Fire Service said the aircraft “had gone very slightly off the runway” but remained on the asphalt.
Fire service group manager Keith Carruthers said firefighters assisted the airport fire service with the emergency and helped the passengers leave the plane using the stairs.
“They seemed fine in all honesty, it’s just they were disembarking in a different position. Most of them did not realise anything was different.
“It’s still on the hard-standing Tarmac. With the icy conditions we are still in attendance assisting the airport fire service get the plane in the correct position,” he said.
The Air Accident Investigation Branch will start an inquiry into the incident.
A statement on the airport’s website said passengers should arrive at the airport as normal on Friday but contact their airline with any concerns.
Sign In
