Delta plane slides off taxiway amid winter storm; airlines issue travel advisories into weekend

Airlines are issuing travel waivers due to a winter storm headed for much of the U.S. this weekend – and at least one airport has experienced issues after a plane slid off the taxiway.

Delta flight 1114 headed to Detroit slid off the taxiway at Kansas City International Airport in Missouri, according to Joe McBride, marketing manager for the airport. It was carrying 129 passengers and crew.

"Passengers were safely offloaded and bused to Terminal B. Crews will remove the aircraft sometime today," he said in a tweet. "It is not impeding much of the airfield."

He wrote in an earlier tweet that there were no known injuries.

“In preparation for departure, the nosegear of Delta flight 1114 exited the taxiway. We apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience and are working to reaccomodate them,” Delta spokesperson Martha Whitt told USA TODAY.

The airport was closed on and off Friday morning amid icy conditions.

"The airfield is closed," the airport wrote in a tweet. "Icy conditions from ongoing freezing rain led @KCIAirport Operations to once again close the airfield/airport to flights. Terminals are open. Crews are out treating surfaces."

The airport was initially closed due to icy conditions but had since reopened after crews went about deicing. "The airfield/airport is now open as of 7:40 am and aircraft are able to take off and land," the airport wrote in a follow-up tweet. "Many thanks to our dedicated Field Maintenece and Operations crews. Apologies to those inconvenienced. Safety first."

"In very inclement weather with slick taxiways, the chances of aircraft sliding off the paved surfaces increase," USA TODAY's "Ask the Captain" columnist John Cox writes. "It can be safe to operate the aircraft based on previous reports but still find that the taxiway is slicker than anticipated due to changing conditions."

"Ground crews do a wonderful job of clearing snow and ice from the surfaces, but there are limits to what they can do," he adds. "I would say that it is safe and ground crews do a good job, but very occasionally an airplane slides off the paved surface. It is an inconvenience but rarely causes damage."

Weather travel waivers

United Airlines is issuing travel waivers due to bad weather in Minneapolis/St. Paul, as well as across the East Coast and Midwest. Consumers should check on which dates are eligible, as they differ depending on location. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Delta Air Lines are also issuing waivers due to the weather, but passengers should check which airports and dates to see where it applies.

As of Friday late morning, there were 999 delays within, into or out of the U.S., according to flight tracking service FlightAware, and 537 cancellations.

Nearly 90 million Americans are under a winter weather alert Friday as a sprawling storm is expected to create hazardous travel conditions from the Plains into northeastern U.S. through the weekend, forecasters warn.

The latest: Nearly 90 million under winter weather advisory as sprawling storm picks up across US

Forecasters posted a blizzard warning for parts of the Upper Midwest as the storm began to gather steam. In South Dakota and Minnesota, dozens of schools canceled classes Friday ahead of snowfall expected during the day.

In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly closed state offices in the Topeka area, urging people to “stay safe and warm, exercise caution and allow road crews to do their job.”

Some of the heaviest snow will fall Friday and Friday night in the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, AccuWeather said, possibly piling up to a foot in some areas.

In Iowa, the weather service in Des Moines warned that the wet, heavy snow will combine with ice accumulations and gusty winds to bring the threat of downed power lines and tree branches.

Freezing rain is also expected from the southern Plains into the mid-Mississippi Valley and the mid-Atlantic region, the weather service said.

By Saturday, moderate to heavy snow is expected in portions of Pennsylvania, New York and much of New England. A foot of snow or more could pile up in parts of the central Appalachians and New England.

Further south, "enough snow and ice is likely to fall with this storm to create slippery travel from Washington, D.C., and Baltimore to New York City with a general coating to an inch or two forecast for these areas along Interstate 95," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Dombek.

Contributing: Associated Press

Good to know: Ask the Captain: Why are so many planes sliding off runways?

From earlier: Weekend winter storm will make travel 'hazardous' across central US and the Northeast

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter storm: Airlines issue waivers; plane slides off KC taxiway