Delta regional jet slides off runway in Des Moines, forcing overnight airport closure

A Delta Connection flight arriving in Des Moines slid off the runway Saturday night amid blowing snow and icy conditions, prompting the temporary closure of Des Moines International Airport and the cancellation of multiple flights.

Delta Connection Flight DL5087 — a CRJ-900 registered N298PQ, operated by Endeavor Air — landed safely from Detroit but veered off the paved surface around 21:30 while transitioning from the runway to a taxiway. According to Delta, none of the 54 passengers or the four crew members were injured. All passengers were transported back to the terminal by bus.

“Safety comes before all else, and we apologise to our customers for the experience,” Delta said in a statement, noting that teams on the ground were assisting affected travellers.

At the time of the incident, only one runway was operational due to winter weather conditions. With the aircraft immobilised, that runway had to be closed overnight. On Sunday morning, the Des Moines Airport Authority confirmed that the airport would remain closed until an alternate runway could be reopened.

“The one runway that was used last night — until that aircraft is recovered, that runway will be closed,” said Brian Mulcahy, CEO of the Des Moines Airport Authority. “We don’t anticipate any further impacts past probably midday today.”

Before the aircraft can be moved, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board must inspect the CRJ-900 where it came to rest.

The airport expects normal operations to resume once the secondary runway is cleared and reopened.