Flight overshoots airport runway

A China Eastern Airlines plane overshot the runway when it landed around 5:25 pm Friday at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, local media reported.

All of the flight's passengers and crew members were unharmed, the airline said.

A passenger surnamed Li told sina.com that the plane's approach to the airport was faster than usual, so it overshot the runaway. Sparks shot out due to the friction between the landing gear and the ground.

Fire engines and ambulances came to rescue, passengers posted on their microblogs.

The plane was a EMB-145 regional aircraft, which usually carries 50 passengers.

Flight MU2947 was only supposed to be a 47-minute flight from Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, to Shanghai, but it ended up being delayed by almost an hour before the incident.

The accident could have happened because the nose landing gear touched ground before the landing gear on the undercarriage, causing the former to break, according to a news report on Shanghai Television Station.

Strong winds may have also contributed to the incident.

The airline said the cause of the accident was still under investigation Friday.

Around one-third of Hongqiao airport's flights were delayed due to the heavy rain and strong winds Friday.

We Recommend:
State-owned barbershop dying out	China’s weekly story (2013.5.18- 5.24)	Wine club: a new way of life in the city
Left-behind children, victims of school violence	White angels in Chongqing South West Hospital	Baby abandoned in toilet pipe rescued
Children in rural areas: Fewer toys, more joy	Chinese-style hurdlers in street	Left-behind children before Children's Day