Passengers evacuated from United flight after tilted plane rolls onto grass at Houston airport
HOUSTON -- Passengers were evacuated from a United flight at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Friday morning, according to an airport spokesperson.
The spokesperson said everyone was evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.
According to the FAA, after landing at IAH, United Airlines Flight 2477 from Memphis rolled onto the grass while exiting onto the taxiway around 8 a.m.
The passengers were deplaned on the taxiway and bused to the terminal, the FAA said.
In a later update, United said all the evacuated passengers were bused to the terminal and assisted with connections and other needs. The company also says they are removing the luggage and returning them to the passengers as fast as they can.
RELATED: United flight out of IAH caught fire after bubble wrap was sucked into engine, airline says
In video from the airport, it appears the plane is tilted to the side. The left wing is touching the ground, off the runway. There was a large police and fire presence around the aircraft.
The video also shows a group of passengers getting on an airport bus on the tarmac.
United said the plane is a Boeing 737 MAX 8. There were 160 passengers and six crew members on board.
SEE ALSO: Tire falls off United flight after takeoff, crushing several vehicles in parking lot, company says
A passenger who was on the plane the moment the incident happened says there was a "huge pop" before the aircraft tilted over, catching the passengers by surprise.
"Seems like we were making a turn. The plane was going a little too fast and just slid off. That's what I took it as," Mike Allard said.
Allard said he is a pastor from the New Caney area and was returning home to conduct a funeral, but one of his associates had to step in due to the circumstances.
"I'm glad everybody's OK. I think the Lord was with us and protected us," he said.
The Houston Airport System said other flights in and out of IAH are continuing without interruption.
KTRK-TV first heard the Houston Fire Department reporting the incident on radio traffic around 8 a.m. HFD first reported an "alert two," which means a plane in the air has had some kind of incident that requires emergency response. Within minutes, HFD escalated it to an "alert three," which means a plane has had an incident on the ground.
The FAA issued the following statement:
"After landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, United Airlines Flight 2477 rolled onto the grass when exiting onto the taxiway around 8 a.m. local time on Friday, March 8. The passengers deplaned on the taxiway and were bused to the terminal. The Boeing 737 departed from Memphis International Airport. Please contact the airline for additional information. The FAA will investigate."
