Passengers at Newark International Airport will suffer delays after a United Airlines plane blew two tires Saturday morning while performing an emergency landing, distributing all flights.
The airport, a major hub for transatlantic travel, tweeted a mysterious warning about an “airport emergency” before the Federal Aviation Administration divulged details involving faulty brakes on a plane, which landed without causing major injuries despite blown tires.
“Expect delays and please call your airline for flight status,” the airport advised passengers after the issue was resolved.
An initial tweet warned: “Due to an airport emergency there are currently no arrivals nor departures from Newark Airport.”
The issue quickly became apparent as passengers described a flight that left nearby LaGuardia Airport without gaining altitude.
In a statement, the FAA said: “United 2098, an Airbus A319, landed on Runway 22L at Newark Liberty International Airport today at 8:46 a.m. The crew reported a brake problem. The two left main tires blew when landing. Runway 22L remains closed at this time.”
The FAA continued, “Passengers were deplaned via slides. The flight departed LaGuardia Airport en route to Houston. The FAA will investigate.”
Scott Ladd, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, provided a slightly different account in an email to the Washington Examiner.
“A United flight that left [LaGuardia] bound for Houston at about 8:30 this morning experienced hydraulics problems and had to make an emergency landing at Newark Liberty. The plane blew a tire on landing and there was other structural damage that forced closure of the runway. Passengers deplaned on the runway and were taken by bus to Gate 71 at Terminal C,” he said.
Ladd added, “We’re waiting now on a rig to show up and tow the damaged plane from the runway.” He continued, “We have reports of a few minor injuries, but no further information on that yet.”
