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.

Clear Skies

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.

The airline traffic at O'Hare -- the site of numerous delays this week -- cleared late Wednesday. Previous delays prevented many travelers from getting to their destinations by Christmas Eve.

More than 100 flights were canceled Wednesday at the country's second-busiest airport. Airlines requested about 75 cots Wednesday night in addition to the nearly 500 cots set up for passengers stranded at O'Hare Tuesday, when more than 500 flights were canceled. Heavy snow and sleet caused a long backlog of flights Tuesday and produced a ripple effect of delays and cancellations that reverberated throughout the country.

Train service also improved around the United States Wednesday, with Amtrak trains running, for the most part, on schedule. On Tuesday, train cancellations in Chicago stranded 600 passengers, some of whom had to wait as long as 22 hours. In the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, some trains had been canceled because of icy and snowy tracks, and some because of frozen pipes in the bathrooms.

A Bleak Forecast

Weather forecasters have focused on the Pacific Northwest, which has been battered by back-to-back storms since last Thursday. With severe winter storm warnings in the Seattle and Portland areas, travel is expected to be difficult once again, and officials have cautioned drivers about dangerous road conditions.

Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire has declared a winter storm emergency after record or near-record snows over much of the state. Two more inches are in the forecast for the Seattle area and up to 7 more inches are possible in the eastern part of the state. In Spokane, 5 to 7 more inches of snow are expected.

In Portland, Ore., where freezing rain made Christmas Eve a frigid one, snow clogged many side streets, and tire chains were required except for sports utility vehicles. About 47,000 residents who have lost power -- some as early as Thursday -- because of continual snowstorms, remained without power on Christmas.

The rest of the West Coast was also dealing with rain and snow. Lake Tahoe ski resorts reported more than 2 feet of snow overnight. In California's Sierra Nevada Mountains, heavy snow led officials to shut down an 80-mile stretch of Interstate 80.

The National Weather Service again warned drivers to use caution and be prepared for snow-covered roads and limited visibility.

Across the United States, at least 30 people have died in the past two days in crashes on slick roads.

The Midwest is expected to be dry for the most part after days of storms. Snow showers are expected in the Northeast, likely giving residents there a very white Christmas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.