Florida-bound jet gets stuck in mud at NY airport

Associated Press

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (AP) — A Southwest Airlines jet bound for Tampa, Fla., has veered off a taxiway and gotten stuck in mud at an airport on New York's Long Island.

Officials say there were no injuries to the 129 passengers and five crew members. Flight 4695 got stuck around 7 a.m. Thursday at MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma (rahn-KAHN'-koh-mah).

Southwest spokesman Paul Flaningan says moveable stairs were brought to the aircraft so everyone could get off and be bused to the terminal.

Flaningan says another jet is flying in from Baltimore to fly the passengers to Tampa. They're expected to arrive about five hours behind their initial schedule.

There was heavy rain overnight on Long Island, but Flaningan says it's not yet clear whether the weather played a role in the incident.