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A United CRJ jet arriving from Denver got stuck in the snow at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport on Thursday afternoon, an airport spokeswoman said.
"A lot of people were out there with shovels digging it out," said Valerie Wise of the Wichita Airport Authority.
“We thought we were going to have to load them (passengers) up into a bus.”
Wise said the pilot turned onto a snow-packed taxiway, wedging the jet in the snow. The flight’s scheduled arrival was 4:15 p.m.
The plane, carrying 66 passengers, was freed by 6 p.m., Wise said. Everyone was safe.
Wise said crews at the airport have been “working around the clock” since snow started falling Wednesday to keep at least one runway clear.
The ramp areas, taxiways and parking lots still needed cleared of snow Thursday evening, she said.
“Our priority is keeping the runway open,” Wise said. “But there is a lot of snow out there and a lot of work that needs to be done.”
Thirteen flights had departed from Mid-Continent by 6 p.m. Thursday; of five other flights scheduled to depart later in the evening, one was delayed, Wise said.
Usually about 33 flights depart from the airport on a weekday, she said.
