Investigators Say Plane Missed The Runway At Presque Isle Airport

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The United Express passenger plane that ended up off the runway at Presque Isle International Airport on March 4 missed the runway on its approach and landed to the right of it, according to a preliminary report by investigators with the National Safety Transportation Board. The city initially reported that the 50-seat Embraer 145 jet flying in from Newark, New Jersey, with 31 people on board, had landed on the runway and then skidded off into the snowy field. The NTSB Aviation Accident Preliminary Report released Thursday, however, indicates that the aircraft “landed between runway 1 and taxiway A in light to moderate snow.” The radar tracking system shows that the plane was aligned right of the runway during both its first approach, when the pilot decided not to land, and the second approach when it did touch down, according to investigators. Of the 28 passengers and three crew members on board, two passengers and one crew member suffered minor injuries.