As the heavy snow blanketing Chicago forced airlines to cancel more than a thousand flights, an American Airlines Embraer ERJ-145 skidded off the runway of O’Hare International airport. No injuries were reported.
The aircraft, registered N923AE and operated by Envoy Air, was carrying out flight AA-4125 for American Eagle from Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Upon the second attempt at landing, the aircraft skidded off the left side of the runway and ended its course into soft ground, about 1600m (5300 feet) past the threshold. The right main landing gear collapsed, the right-hand wing thus touching the ground.
BREAKING: @AmericanAir Flight AA4125 from @flyfrompti to @fly2ohare slides off runway in Chicago this morning. Passengers tell me everyone is OK, deplaned and on buses to terminal. Video: Joseph Lian from Greensboro. @ABC11_WTVD @ABC #ABC11 pic.twitter.com/rBwyqfVtiU
— Andrea Blanford (@AndreaABC11) November 11, 2019
The 38 passengers and three crew members were deplaned using air stairs and were transported to the terminal by bus. No injuries were reported. The runway 10L was consequently closed. American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) told AeroTime that the incident was “due to icy conditions”.
With 8.6 centimeters (3.4 inches) of measurable snow in O’Hare, operations came to a halt in the sixth-busiest airport in the world. More than 1,500 flights were canceled. Several U.S. carriers offered free rebooking for passengers flying in the region.