There were no apparent mechanical problems with the Boeing 737 that slid on a runway at LaGuardia Oct. 27th, veering to the right before coming to a stop on the turf about 200 feet from the end of the runway. The 11 crew and 37 passengers deplaned via the airstairs. There were no injuries.
The incident attracted extra attention because one of the passengers on the chartered flight was vice-president elect Mike Pence.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued an update on its investigation into the mishap which sheds little light on why it may have occurred.
Among initial findings:
- The flight crew reported the landing followed a stable approach.
- The flight crew reported sighting the runway when the airplane was about 700 feet above the ground; they said that the airplane “floated” during the landing flare; the main landing gear touched down on the wet runway about 3,000 feet beyond the runway threshold.
- The flight crew did not report any mechanical irregularities or abnormal braking action, which was corroborated by the flight data recorder.
- Investigators interviewed flight crews of the four airplanes that landed immediately prior to the incident airplane; none reported any problems with braking action on the wet runway.
The on-scene investigation was completed Oct. 30 and the flight data and cockpit voice recorders – both of which contained good quality data - were transported to the NTSB recorders lab for download.
