A Boeing 737 operated by low-cost airline Norwegian overshot the end of the runway at Molde Airport on Thursday night and stopped just 15 meters short of plunging into the icy cold sea surrounding much of the airfield.
An airline spokesperson has confirmed that there were 165 passengers and six crew members onboard the 11-year-old airplane, which had operated an otherwise routine flight from the Norwegian capital, Oslo.
Norwegian flight DY430 took off around an hour late at 6:19 pm on December 19 for the short 45-minute flight to Molde, located around 250 miles northwest of Oslo, on the northern shore of the Romsdal Peninsula.
After coming to a halt on soft ground, around 150 meters beyond the end of the runway and just 15 meters short of the sea, the passengers were evacuated via emergency slides, and the airport fire service raced to the scene.
What caused the aircraft to overshoot the runway is yet to be established by accident investigators, but a Norwegian spokesperson says that the runway was slippery and that there had been a strong gust of wind.
Norway’s airport operator, Avianor, told the tabloid newspaper VG that it was too early to speculate about the condition of the runway. A police spokesperson also refused to be drawn on the cause of the accident but confirmed that strong wind gusts had been reported in the local area.
Several passengers who were onboard the airplane and who regularly take this particular flight said that it felt like the plane was landing further down the runway than normal.
The passengers said there wasn’t any panic during the evacuation, although some people were anxious and upset. No one was injured during the evacuation, and everyone has been taken to the airport terminal where they will be questioned by accident investigators.
