MD-80 Off Runway In Pensacola

ANN ^ | 010403 | AP

[Archangelsk]

MD-80 Off Runway In Pensacola

Sun, 04 Jan '04 No Injuries, Airport Closed, Flights Diverted

The good news is that nobody was hurt. The bad news is that someone has a big mess to clean up.

A Delta MD-80 from Atlanta ran off the end of the runway at Pensacola Friday night. The flight carried 140 passengers and five crew members. The aircraft's landing gear sank in the soft dirt at the end of Runway 17. Otherwise, officials on the scene say there was no indication of damage. Still, they admit, getting the aircraft out of the dirt without causing structural damage to the MD-80 is, as the Brits say, a "real poser."

There's only one IFR runway at Pensacola Regional Airport. As recovery teams tried to figure out how to get the aircraft out of the dirt and back onto the runway, officials shut down the airport. Runway 17/35 is the only IFR approach available at the field.

[Archangelsk]

A bit of the lack 'o thrust reversers?

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[Lokibob]

I have the impression it is a taxi error, but could be wrong.

[Archangelsk]

A Delta MD-80 from Atlanta ran off the end of the runway at Pensacola Friday night. The flight carried 140 passengers and five crew members. The aircraft's landing gear sank in the soft dirt at the end of Runway 17

Not with this verbiage.

[Columbine]

Friday night?

Why are we just hearing about it now?

[Lokibob]

As I said, it is my impression. He could run off the end of the runway while taxiing.

[Johnny_Cipher]

Ah, memories of the National Airlines crash in Pensacola Bay back in the early 80s. I got so many dirty looks from the ticket counter personnel for singing "Splish Splash I Was Takin' A Bath" while waiting to fly out of there the day after it happened.

[Lokibob]

You were right:

---

Runway mishap cleared

Flight schedules resume after early cancellations
Michael Stewart
@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

Some flights out of Pensacola Regional Airport were canceled Saturday morning as crews worked to remove a Delta MD-80 jetliner that rolled off Runway 17 and into the dirt.

"They would have likely been canceled anyway because of the fog," said airport director Frank Miller.


Incoming flights into Pensacola were canceled Friday night after the airplane carrying about 140 passengers and five crew members came in for a landing and rolled 50 to 75 yards off the runway around 6:30 p.m. The tires on the plane sank about half a foot into the soft dirt.


No one was injured in the incident.


Under normal circumstances, incoming planes could have used an alternate runway Friday night, but the problem was compounded by heavy fog, officials said.


Miller said the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating to determine what caused the jetliner to overshoot the runway.


A Delta crew arrived Saturday morning and strapped the plane to tow trucks and ground tugs that are used to move planes around the tarmac. They then pulled the aircraft onto the runway pavement to a nearby hangar, Miller said.


By 12:30 p.m. Saturday, the plane was out of the way, the runway was cleaned up and normal flight schedules had resumed, Miller said.


Although some flights were canceled Saturday morning before the plane was moved, others were able to land and take off, Miller said.


The Delta plane was arriving from Atlanta.