A plane with 27 people on board, including crew, slid off the taxiway and stopped at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) late Wednesday morning. A United Regional Jet operated by GoJet Airlines plane veered onto a grassy area after landing at Washington Dulles International Airport. The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. on Runway 11-29, according to a statement from the airport reported by local outlet KY3.
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No injuries were reported, and passengers were quickly moved to airport buses that took them straight to the terminal, the release added.
Here are some photos from a passenger who tells me they were on the inbound flight that slid off the taxiway at Lambert.
— Caroline Hecker (@carolinehecker) February 12, 2025
They tell me it felt like they hit a slick spot and were unable to stop in time, coming to a rest in the grass. No one was injured. @KMOV pic.twitter.com/geCuOaRwyn
No official reports have explained the cause of the incident yet. However, icy taxiways were “the probable cause,” according to GoJet Airlines spokesperson Elizabeth Dray in a statement to CNN.
According to the release, all scheduled flights have been reassigned to a different aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration has announced an investigation into the incident.
Social Media Speculates on Plane ‘Sliding Off’ Taxiway in St. Louis Airport
Meanwhile, aviation lovers and armchair experts on social media speculated on the incident.
“To any airline guys, is an incident like this something that someone is fired for? Just wondering what happens to the pilots after something like this,” one X denizen wondered.
“No. Conditions look rough and braking action is a major factor,” an X user claiming to be an airline pilot shot back. “They will not be allowed to speak to anyone until they speak to the union. Otherwise, nothing should happen to the pilots,” he added.
“Lengthy investigations are made in this kind of situation,” another user agreed. “Pilots unions are very good, so you’ll seldom see an incident like this lead to a pilot’s termination. From what I’ve seen so far, it seemed to be an issue with the nose gear. [That] isn’t abnormal with an aircraft this old.
Of course, the incident follows major U.S. aviation disasters in recent weeks. On Jan. 29, a commercial jet collided with an Army helicopter near the capital, killing 67. Two days later, on January 31, a medical transport plane crashed in Philadelphia. The crash killed all six onboard and one on the ground.