Mike Pence Campaign Airplane Skids Off Runway in NYC, No One Injured

QUEENS, NY — The campaign plane for Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence skidded off the runway at LaGuardia Airport on Thursday just before 8 p.m., but no one was injured in the accident, according to officials. It had rained in the city all day, heavily at the time of the incident.

The Port Authority, which oversees the airport, confirmed the incident and that there were no injuries. LaGuardia was closed to all air traffic for just over an hour but opened one runway by about 9:15 p.m.

"There were no injuries tonight when a charter plane carrying Republican Vice President nominee Mike Pence and more than 30 others overshot a LaGuardia Airport runway," the Port Authority said in a statement. "There was no fire and passengers are off the plane. Port Authority emergency personnel and other authorities are on the scene."

Pence tweeted about the ordeal just before 9 p.m. and promised to be back on the campaign trail on Friday.

About 30 to 40 people, including staff and traveling reporters, were on the charter 737 plane. Pence's wife and daughter were also reportedly on the plane. Trump deputy campaign manager Michael Glassner, who does not usually travel with Pence, was also on the plane, according to MSNBC.

Trump was speaking at a rally in Ohio on Thursday evening when the accident happened and said he was thankful everyone was uninjured.

Trump's opponent, Hillary Clinton, tweeted she was glad to hear everyone was uninjured in the incident as well.

Photos from the scene following the incident showed damage to the overrun area after the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration clarified Thursday the "damage" was intentional as part of its Engineered Material Arresting System, which is designed to stop a plane going as fast as 80 mph.

Pence had been scheduled to attend a fundraiser for the GOP presidential candidate in the city, but a Pence spokesperson told MSNBC that would no longer be the case.

Many of the reporters on the plane commented, filmed and discussed the incident immediately following.

Glassner had actually taken a photo of Pence with the airplane on the tarmac in Iowa waiting to take off earlier in the afternoon.

Image via Gage Skidmore, Flickr, used under Creative Commons

Correction: An earlier version of this story said Donald Trump's wife and daughter were on the plane. It was intended to say Pence's wife and daughter.