Download The front landing gear of a flight arriving at New York's LaGuardia Airport collapsed on Monday right after the plane touched down on the runway, officials said, sending the aircraft skidding before it came to a halt. Ten passengers were treated at the scene, with six being taken to a hospital with minor injuries, said Thomas Bosco, acting director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the area airports. The six crew members were taken to another hospital for observation. LaGuardia, one of the area's busiest airports, was closed for more than an hour after the Boeing 737 jet landed about 5:40 pm. Dallas-based Southwest said there were 150 people on Flight 345 coming from Nashville, Tenn. Bosco said the nose gear of the plane collapsed when it landed, and "the aircraft skidded down the runway on its nose and then veered off and came to rest in the grass area". Bosco said there was no advance warning of any problem before the landing. Passenger Anniebell Hanna said the flight had been delayed leaving Nashville. Passengers had heard an announcement saying "something was wrong with a tire," she said, waiting in a room at LaGuardia several hours after the incident. At LaGuardia, "when we got ready to land, we nosedived," she said. She and some family members were coming to New York for a visit. "I hit my head against the seat in front of me," she said. |