TREACHEROUS CONDITIONS

Passenger Plane Skids Off Runway in Heavy Snow

The incident forced the runway to close.

A passenger plane has skidded off the tarmac in heavy snow, forcing an evacuation of the jet and closing the airport’s runway. A LOT Polish Airlines Embraer E170STD was left marooned on the grass next to the taxiway in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Wednesday. Flight LO771 had landed from Warsaw, Poland, but went off track shortly after at 1.43 p.m. local time. Officials said passengers were being evacuated from the aircraft and no injuries were reported, AirLive reports. According to FlightRadar24, conditions were snowy and misty with temperatures as low as 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Images from the scene show the jet surrounded by emergency vehicles in snowy conditions. The runway is expected to remain closed until 5 p.m. local time, with flights to Vilnius being rerouted to other airports. AirLive reports that a Lithuanian authorities investigation is expected. In a statement, Vilnius Airport said, “At 13:43 today, a LOT Polish Airlines aircraft arriving from Warsaw, conducting flight LO771, landed at Vilnius Airport and veered off the runway while taxiing to the stand.”