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Minneapolis-bound passenger jet lands safely

A Continental Express plane blew a tire upon takeoff on Tuesday but landed safely after circling Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport  for about two hours.
/ Source: The Associated Press

A Continental Express plane blew a tire upon takeoff Tuesday but landed safely after circling the airport for about two hours.

The plane, an Embraer 145, tried to land once at Bush Intercontinental Airport but was waved off so officials could assess the damage and the plane could burn fuel, said Continental Express spokeswoman Kristy Nicholas.

Continental spokeswoman Sarah Anthony said the Minneapolis-bound plane carried 45 passengers and a crew of three.

The airport got the call about the tire about 4:25 p.m., said spokesman Richard Fernandez. Other airport operations continued normally.

American jet exits runway in Chicago
It was the second mishap of the day involving an Embraer 145. In Chicago, an American Eagle jet veered off the runway at O’Hare International Airport, but no injuries were reported, officials said.

As Flight 348 arrived from Bentonville, Ark., air traffic controllers saw a puff of smoke from the jet’s landing gear, said Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The plane then veered off the runway to the right, coming to rest about 25 feet away on the grass, said Dave Jackson, an American Eagle spokesman. An initial examination found a flat tire on the landing gear.

The Embraer 145 regional jet was carrying 40 passengers and three crew members, Cory said. They were taken by bus to a terminal.