Delta Sued by Port Authority for 2015 Runway Skid at LGA
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey sued Delta Air Lines on Tuesday for damages at New York's Laguardia Airport (LGA) after an airplane skidded off a runway in 2015.
The skid happened during a March 5, 2015 snowstorm when Flight 1086 slid off of LGA's runway 13. But, the Port Authority, which runs the airport, says the incident “was caused solely by the negligence of Delta and its agents,” which includes the airplane's pilot, Reuters reports.
The lawsuit seeks $750,047 in damages to airport property, including a fence the MD-88 aircraft hit before rolling to a stop with its nose teetering on the edge that separates the runway from Flushing Bay.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the MD-88's left wing destroyed about 940 feet of the perimeter fence. There were no serious injuries as a result of the incident, but NTSB Chairman Christopher Hart said it was “a very close call,” AP reported in 2016.
An NTSB investigation found that the pilot used too much reverse thrust, one of the plane's braking mechanisms, and the combination of excessive thrust and slippery conditions resulted in an “inability to maintain directional control.” That investigation also found that the crew waited too long to evacuate the flight's 127 passengers, as the plane was leaking fuel after the collision.
The lawsuit was filed in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
