SW Airlines flight skids off Chicago runway

CHICAGO, IL The 134 passengers and 5 crew members were removed from the Southwest Airlines plane by portable stairs provided by the Chicago Fire Department and taken to the terminal by bus. Flight 1919 from Denver was landing at around 1:30pm when it skidded off runway 31C into the wet grass. It came to a stop about 120 feet away from the airport wall at Cicero Avenue at 63rd Street.

The FAA says there was rain in the area and southerly winds at the time the aircraft landed.

Southwest Airlines released a statement Tuesday afternoon that read, in part, "The passengers have been safely deplaned from the aircraft using air stairs and have been bused to the terminal. Southwest officials will be working with passengers to get them to their final destinations."

Workers are putting boards under the wheels of the Boeing 737-700 to try to get the jet out of the mud.

According to the Southwest Airlines website, Flight 1919 is now scheduled to land at Hobby at 7:40pm. The NTSB is investigating.

Information from WLS-TV in Chicago was used in this report.