On Thursday afternoon, an American Airlines flight departing Philadelphia with 53 people on board slid off a snowy, icy runway while landing during a winter storm in Rochester, New York.
No injuries were reported among the 50 passengers and 3 crew members, but the incident highlighted the dangers of travelling in severe winter weather.
The Embraer E145 regional jet overshot the runway after landing at Greater Rochester International Airport around 4 pm local time.
Airport officials stated the aircraft was attempting to taxi to the terminal when it veered into the grass adjacent to the runway, coming to an abrupt halt. The cause was initially deemed undetermined pending an investigation.
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed that Piedmont Airlines was operating the flight. They stated that “the flight exited the taxiway while in transit to the terminal due to snowy airfield conditions,” indicating wintry weather played a role.