Pilots Aborted Takeoff, No One Is Injured

The pilots of an Air Berlin 737-800 aborted their takeoff from Dortmund Airport in western Germany enroute to the Canary Islands and veered off the runway. The pilots reported a "technical irregularity", and runway conditions were described as "wintery."

The airplane eventually stopped with its nose pointing down a snow-covered slope. It was intact, and passengers were able to deplane using a normal set of stairs. Passengers reportedly got off the airplane in an "orderly fashion." They and their luggage were taken to another nearby airport, where they continued their journey to Las Palmas.

The incident occurred at about 0705 local time, and the airport was closed while the 737 was moved out of the ditch. The Associated Press reports that incoming flights were diverted, and outbound flights were cancelled while the airport was closed.

Dortmund fire services dispatched some 120 officers to the scene, but fire officials said "fortunately it turned out that a deployment on this scale wasn't needed."

A few days before Christmas, another 737 skidded off a runway in Kingston, Jamaica in heavy rain. That aircraft broke into three segments, and while no one was killed, several of the passengers required hospitalization.

FMI: http://www.dortmund-airport.de/index.php?L=1&id=airport