SOUTHWEST ROLLS OFF RUNWAY

Posted on 12/16/2015 | About Nashville, Tennessee

A Southwest Airlines plane rolled off a runway at Nashville International Airport, injuring three people. The aircraft, which was carrying 133 passengers and five crew, was arriving from Houston. Officials say that the plane had landed and was approaching the gate when it slipped from the tarmac.

Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Emily Samuels said in an email Tuesday night that Flight 31 from Houston Hobby Airport to Nashville went off the taxiway around 5:20 p.m. as it approached the arrival gate. She said the passengers and crew members evacuated the plane safely and were bused to the airport, where employees were helping them. A Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman said the Boeing 7373 rolled into grass and got stuck while taxiing to the gate. She said the FAA is investigating.

News media outlets quoted fire department spokesman Brian Haas as saying that one passenger had chest pains and two others suffered unspecified minor injuries. No information about what caused the aircraft to leave the runway was immediately available.