A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 made a dramatic landing at New York's La Guardia Airport this afternoon. There are differing reports as to what exactly happened: The Wall Street Journal says the plane's landing gear collapsed as it was taxiing, while CNN's take is that the front landing gear collapsed as the plane landed.
The AP reports that there have been "several" reports of injuries and the Port Authority temporarily shut down the airport.
The Journal adds:
"The Boeing 737 "reported possible landing gear issues before landing," the Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in an email. Flight 345 from Nashville International Airport took off earlier in the day.
"The plane's nosegear collapsed as the aircraft landed on runway four at 5:45 p.m., Ms. Bergen said.
"A person familiar with the incident said the plane had landed and was taxiing when the collapse occurred."
TV images showed the plane surrounded by emergency vehicles and passengers standing on the tarmac. One eyewitness told CNN that he saw a "shower of sparks" when the front of the plane hit the tarmac.
Flight 345 was flying from Nashville to New York.
Twitter user Bobby Abtahi posted this video of the scene:
Update at 7:54 p.m. ET. 150 Onboard:
Southwest Airlines just put out this statement:
"Eyewitness reports indicate the aircraft's nose gear collapsed upon landing. There were 150 people on board including Customers and Crew. All Customers have been deplaned and transferred to the terminal. Initial reports indicate local responders are caring for five Customers and three flight attendants who have reported injuries at this time. Southwest is cooperating with local authorities, and the NTSB has been notified."
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