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Departure set for passengers whose plane went off St. Pete-Clearwater taxiway

 
Published Aug. 13, 2012

CLEARWATER — Passengers stuck in the Tampa Bay area an extra day because their plane ran off the taxiway Sunday are scheduled to head out today, according to an airline spokeswoman.

Allegiant Air Flight 882 to Grand Rapids, Mich., has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. today, according to Allegiant spokeswoman Jessica Wheeler. The flight was originally supposed to take off from St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport Sunday afternoon, but it got stuck in grass just after 4 p.m. when its right main tire went off the pavement.

The plane had been heading from the taxiway to the runway for takeoff, Wheeler said. Details of why the plane went off the edge of the taxiway won't be known for several days, until after the pilots can be debriefed.

Nobody was injured, but the plane's 142 passengers had to wait on the plane until several Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority buses drove them back to the terminal.

The MD-80 jet stayed put just off the taxiway Sunday evening while a team of engineers assessed damage. There was no significant damage, and the plane had been removed and had departed by Monday morning, according to airport spokeswoman Michele Routh.

Passengers were offered full refunds or could change flights with no surcharge, Wheeler said. All passengers were also given a $75 voucher toward a future flight, and those who did not live within 50 miles of the airport were offered hotel accommodations Sunday night.