Passengers evacuated from plane after it veers off runway into grass

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A plane has been evacuated after it unexpectedly veered off the runway and ended up sitting lop-sided on the grass.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 had just landed at George Bush International Airport in Houston, Texas, and was heading for a terminal gate when it left the tarmac.

No injuries were reported among the 160 passengers and six crew members, according to flight operator United Airlines.

The MailOnline reported that the plane is said to have suffered a gear collapse while taxiing.

It is the latest incident involving the 737 Max models, which have come under intense scrutiny following a series of serious issues.

In January, a piece of fuselage broke away from an Alaska Airlines aircraft shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport, forcing it to be diverted.

The incident led United Airlines to ground all of its 79 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes.

Two 737 Max 8 flights crashed within five months of each other in 2018 and 2019, killing almost 350 people between them.

Stairs were brought to the plane so passengers could exit safely (Picture: AP)

Footage from today’s incident shows the plane, which had travelled from Memphis in Tennessee, tilted to one side on the grass at the side of the runway.

An investigation is being carried out by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

United Airlines said in a statement: ‘All passengers have been bussed to the terminal and are being assisted by our team with their onward connections and other needs.

The plane became stuck in the grass after turning off the runway (Picture: AP)

‘We are removing luggage from the aircraft and will work to reunite customers with their belongings as quickly as possible.

‘We will work with the NTSB, FAA and Boeing to understand what happened.’

Yesterday, another United jetliner lost a tyre as it took off from San Francisco, and later landed safely in Los Angeles with no injuries reported.

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