Fourth Time It's Happened In A Month

For the fourth time this winter, an aircraft partially skidded off the pavement at Kansas City International Friday, leading officials at the airport to wonder just what's going on.

"We normally have zero," spokesman Joe McBride said. None of the 151 people on board the Delta 737 involved in Friday's incident was hurt, he said.

Just Thursday, a United Express flight operated by Air Wisconsin slid off the taxiway after arrival. Two other aircraft have slipped from the pavement since January 1.

McBride said most of the incidents this year involve aircraft departing runways for taxiways. In this case, the Atlanta-bound aircraft was turning from a taxiway onto the runway. The passengers were returned to the terminal where they caught other flights to their destinations.

Delta blamed Friday's incident on wind, not icy pavement. But ice has reportedly been a factor in the other incidents, according to McBride.

When it comes to clearing snow and ice from the runways and taxiways, KCI does things a little different. It uses a de-icing fluid instead of salt, which, of course, could lead to corrosion. Sand is also applied to the pavement to help aircraft gain traction in poor conditions.

"We're looking at the situation to see if there's any adjustments that need to be made," he said.

FMI: www.iflykansascity.com