Alaska High School Swim Team On Airplane That Went Off Runway

A twin-engine Alaska Airlines flight carrying a high school swim team went off an airport runway while trying to land yesterday, October 17th.

Alaska Airlines flight 3296 from Anchorage to Dutch Harbor landed at Unalaska-Dutch Harbor Airport but went off the runway as it tried to stop. 42 passengers were on-board, including 3 crew members when the incident occurred at 5:40pm local time. Weather conditions at the time were described as low visibility amid light rain. (CNN)

City Manager Erin Reinders said she was at the airport to welcome the evening flight and witnessed the incident.

“We watched one [landing] attempt, and [the plane] was going with the wind, [approaching] from the Hog Island side [of Mount Ballyhoo]. Then it went back up [for] a second attempt. It went with the wind again. It did land, so all the wheels were on the ground. And then it wasn’t stopping. It was slowing down, and it was apparent that it was slowing down, but it wasn’t stopping.” (Koco News)

ABC is reporting that 2 passengers were critically hurt and 10 others were treated for injuries. However, the superindent of the swim team’s school, which is located in Cordova, Alaska, told CNN that all students and chaperones are accounted for and are OK.

“At present, all students and chaperones are accounted for and are OK, albeit a bit shaken up,” read a statement posted by superintendent Alex Russin on the school district’s website Thursday night, saying that they were eating pizza and would be “well looked after.”

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team to investigate the incident.