A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane went off the runway and rolled into the grass as it was landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, on Friday, prompting an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In a statement obtained Friday by Click 2 Houston, United Airlines explained that the incident occurred during the landing of one of United Airlines’ flights at George Bush Intercontinental Airport at roughly 8 a.m.
“As it was exiting the runway for the gate, the aircraft left the pavement and entered the grass along Runway 9-27. Fortunately, no one on board was injured and all passengers were safely transported to the terminal,” United Airlines stated. “Per federal regulation, the FAA has been notified. Flights in and out of IAH continue without interruption.”
Sharing a picture of the United Airlines aircraft, Pete Muntean, a CNN correspondent, tweeted that the plane was a Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane that was “delivered last June.” Muntean noted that the FAA was investigating the incident.
According to an FAA statement obtained by The New York Post, the Boeing 737 Max 8 “rolled onto the grass when exiting onto the taxiway” on Friday. The FAA confirmed that the passengers were able to exit the plane safely before being bused to the airport terminal.
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The New York Post reported that the aircraft had 160 passengers and six crew members on Friday’s flight from Memphis, Tennessee, to George Bush Intercontinental Airport. Both the Houston Fire Department and Houston Airport Operations helped with the evacuation of the passengers. No injuries were reported from the incident.
While the NTSB and the FAA’s investigation into Friday’s incident is expected to reveal what caused the plane to roll off the runway into the grass, one source claimed that the Boeing aircraft experienced a “left main landing gear collapse after trying to taxi off runway 27 at IAH airport in Houston, Texas.”
Friday’s incident involving the Boeing 737 Max 8 comes just one day after a United Airlines plane lost one of its tires during takeoff from San Francisco International Airport. While no injuries were reported from Thursday’s incident, multiple cars were significantly damaged after the tire fell into a nearby parking lot.
