Plane Slides Off Runway at O'Hare Airport

The Chicago Department of Aviation confirmed the inbound flight originating from Greensboro, North Carolina, "exited a runway upon landing" at about 7:45 a.m. at O'Hare Airport.

A plane slid off the runway at O'Hare International Airport upon arrival Monday morning as a round of snow hit the area. 

"American Eagle flight 4125, operated by Envoy Air, slid off the runway due to icy conditions," American Airlines said in a statement before 9 a.m.

The Chicago Department of Aviation confirmed the inbound flight originating from Greensboro, North Carolina, "exited a runway upon landing" at about 7:45 a.m.

No injuries were reported in the incident, officials said. Thirty-eight passengers and three crew members were aboard the plane at the time and were able to safely disembark the aircraft, the airline and Chicago Fire Department said.

"Everyone just held their breath until we landed, then as soon as we stopped, everyone exhaled," Michael Sanchez, a passenger on the plane, said. 

Fire officials said the incident happened quickly and was "immediately secured." 

"The incident had a moderate impact in overall flight operations at the airport," the Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement.

Passengers on board the aircraft criticized the decision to try to land in the snowy conditions, but praised the pilot for the way he handled the aircraft. 

"I hope that they are giving him a raise or something, because he was really good in how he handled that situation," passenger Luis Torres said. 

Meanwhile, hundreds of flights were canceled at O'Hare as well as Midway Airport due to the blast of winter weather. 

Nearly 900 flights have been canceled at O'Hare, with another 95 canceled at Midway. Delays at O'Hare were averaging just over an hour and a half as of 2:30 p.m. Monday. 

Snow is beginning to taper off across the region, but a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for some central Illinois and northwest Indiana counties. 

Some areas have seen in excess of 6 inches of snow during the storm, with the heaviest totals coming in the northern regions of Illinois. 

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