Organ transport plane skids off runway at Chicago Executive Airport

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Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Organ transplant plane skids off runway
A small cargo plane headed to Chicago to pick up an organ for transplant went off a runway at Chicago Executive Airport in north suburban Wheeling.

WHEELING, Ill. (WLS) -- A small cargo plane went off the runway at Chicago Executive Airport in north suburban Wheeling. The plane was headed to Chicago from Detroit to pick up an organ for transport.

The Falcon 20 skidded off the main north-south runway around 5 a.m. Tuesday. The plane hit the runway's Engineered Materials Arresting System, a bed of crushable concrete designed to stop any aircraft that moves onto it. The EMAS prevented the plane from continuing onto Palatine Road.

There were two pilots on board. No one was injured.

Rob Mark, Chicago Executive Airport spokesperson, said the plane was not damaged. He said the runway will be closed for an undetermined amount of time, but there is another runway available.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.