HEBRON, Ky. — Passengers were asked to de-board their plane after a wheel went off a ramp near the gate area at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Sunday night.
CVG officials did not say what happened or how the wheel got off the ramp, but several crews were on ground Sunday night, surrounding the wheel, which appeared to be stuck in grass and mud.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane's left, main wheel went onto the grass as the plane was pushing back from its gate around 6:25 p.m. Sunday evening.
Officials with CVG and the FAA have said to contact the airline company that owns the plane, Frontier Airlines.
Frontier Airlines issued a statement Monday afternoon, saying removing the passengers from the plane after its wheel left the pavement was a precaution, while officials inspected the plane.
"The cause of the incident is currently under investigation," reads the statement. "We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience to our customers who are being re-accommodated on other Frontier flights and were provided assistance with hotel accommodations and meal vouchers."
J. Joseph, a retired pilot and colonel with the US Marine Corps said incidents like this one are not uncommon.
"It typically happens when the ground, the surface of the ramp and the grassy area adjacent to the tarmac are covered with snow," said Joseph.
Joseph said in most cases, incidents like this are a result of miscommunication between staff directing the plane out of the gate area.
"Unfortunately, these things happen," he said. "But in our business, a second distraction can result in something like this."
Retired Air Force pilot Dr. Daryl Smith, an associate professor at Cedarville University who also runs aviation website DoctorAviation.com, disagreed.
"This is not common at all," he said. "It's probably more common for private aircraft or small aircraft."
Airline officials have not said who is to blame for the incident.
Smith said in the gate area, marshallers are responsible for directing the aircraft safely in and out of the gate. Once the aircraft is clear of the gate area and on the taxiway, Smith said the primary responsibility would fall on the pilots.
CVG officials said passengers aboard the plane were de-boarded from the plane onto the ground in the gate area. They did not say whether anyone was hurt.
