American Airlines flight veers off runway at Kingston airport
Key Points(5)
- An American Airlines flight reportedly veered off the runway while landing at Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, Jamaica, late Thursday night.
- Flight 850, originally scheduled to arrive at 7:32 PM, was delayed by nearly two hours due to issues at Miami International Airport.
- When the plane finally landed at NMIA, it experienced a hard landing and veered off the runway.
- While the extent of injuries, if any, remains unclear, the aircraft is said to have sustained significant damage to its engine and landing lights.
- Despite the incident, the aircraft managed to taxi to the gate under its own power, and passengers disembarked without further issues.
An American Airlines flight reportedly veered off the runway while landing at Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, Jamaica, late Thursday night.
Flight 850, originally scheduled to arrive at 7:32 PM, was delayed by nearly two hours due to issues at Miami International Airport. When the plane finally landed at NMIA, it experienced a hard landing and veered off the runway. While the extent of injuries, if any, remains unclear, the aircraft is said to have sustained significant damage to its engine and landing lights.
Despite the incident, the aircraft managed to taxi to the gate under its own power, and passengers disembarked without further issues. In response to the event, American Airlines issued a statement on Friday morning, reassuring that no injuries were reported.
"American Airlines flight 850 from Miami (MIA) to Kingston, Jamaica (KIN) briefly exited the runway after landing. The aircraft taxied to the gate under its own power, and customers deplaned normally. Safety is our top priority, and we apologize to our customers for their experience," the statement read.
The flight's return to Miami is scheduled for Friday morning, pending the arrival of a replacement aircraft.
CEO of the Seprod Group and Past President of Jamaica Manufacturers & Exporters Association Richard Pandohie was a passenger on the flight. He recounted his the experience, describing the flight as "rough, even scary,” but expressed gratitude for the safe landing.
"Thankful that we landed safely despite significant damage to the plane.. the AA flight crew was calm and professional ...life has a way of reminding us that every day is a blessing," Pandohie wrote.
This is the second time that such an incident has happened at the Kingston airport involving an American Airlines flight.
In December 2009, American Airlines Flight 331 overran the runway while landing in Kingston. None of the 154 passengers and crew died, but because of the damage to the aircraft, it had to be written off.The aircraft involved in the accident was an eight-year-old Boeing 737-800 registered N977AN.
