No Serious Injuries Reported

Engine trouble forced the pilots of a Northwest Airlines DC-9 to abort takeoff from Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport Sunday morning, but not in time to keep the plane from skidding off a runway in snowy weather.

No serious injuries were reported in the incident aboard flight 1726, reported the Associated Press. One passenger complained of a sore back and was to be examined, said airline spokeswoman Jennifer Bagdade.

Bound for Detroit, the crew "opted to discontinue its takeoff due to an engine problem," the airline said. The plane came to a stop off the runway surface.

The plane skidded when the pilot applied the brakes, said airport spokeswoman Pat Rowe. The aircraft came to a stop on the grass by the runway, closing the airport for 35 minutes.

Rowe said that snowplow crews had been working all morning, but that she did not know how much snow was on the runway at the time. About 2½ inches of snow had fallen at the airport as of noon, according to the National Weather Service.

The 99 passengers and five crew members were bused back to the terminal with their luggage.

FMI: www.nwa.com, www.mitchellairport.com