Airlines Start Clearing Backlog but Not Without Accidents

Dec. 25, 2008 — -- The weather outside is still frightful, but stranded passengers are finally getting home for Christmas but not without some drama.

On Wednesday evening, an American Airlines plane at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was minutes from takeoff when it hit an icy patch while turning into a runway and slid into the grass.

None of the 54 passengers and five crew members on the Washington-bound flight were injured in the accident, which prompted a large emergency response and led officials to shut down one runway temporarily. However, officials said the accident did not cause other flight delays. The cause is still being investigated.

It was the latest in a string of airline incidents in what has turned out to be a week of wintry travel mess and frustration brought on by flight delays.

On Wednesday morning, 25 Alaska Airlines passengers bound from Seattle to Burbank, Calif., were hospitalized after they were exposed to fumes from a de-icing fluid that was sucked into the plane's ventilation system when the crew removed ice from the plane's wings.

On Tuesday, a United Regional jet slid off a taxiway at Peoria International Airport in Illinois. No one was injured.

Last Saturday, a Continental flight skidded off the runway and burst into flames before taking off from Denver International Airport. Thirty-eight passengers were hurt in the crash, including the captain, who remains hospitalized.

As of this afternoon, the skies looked clear across most of the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration reported some delays in arriving flights at San Francisco International Airport. Strong winds had delayed flights an average of 25 minutes as of Thursday afternoon.

At Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, some inbound flights were delayed more than 30 minutes because of windy weather.

Elsewhere across the country, air traffic was smooth in what is one of the lightest travel days of the year.

Nevertheless, airlines advised travelers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.