Jet Slid Off Runway At Wall Airport Due To High Winds: Police

WALL, NJ — Sudden high winds from incoming thunderstorms Saturday were a contributing factor when a small jet left the runway upon landing at Monmouth Executive Airport's Jet Center, police said.

There was "significant damage" to the jet, but no injuries, police said.

The airport Executive Director of Operations Rita Spader said the jet landed on Runway 32 at approximately 5,000 feet and slid 1,000 feet into the taxiway.

At 7:38 p.m., Wall police and Fire District 2 responded to Monmouth Executive Airport the incident and found the twin engine Cessna Citation X jet had lost control upon entering a grass median and came to rest on its underside off the taxiway, a police report said.

The aircraft was occupied by its pilot and copilot. Both "self-extricated" from the plane and were uninjured, according to police.

The plane sustained "significant damage," police said.

Wall Fire District 2, with assistance from Monmouth County Hazmat, were able to isolate the fuel from the aircraft. The scene was secured Saturday and emergency crews returned to the airport the following morning.

A private towing and recovery company removed the plane and the debris field was cleared. Spilled fuel was mitigated. The airport was closed during the initial investigation and has since reopened.

Spader said the plane will be evaluated by Federal Aviation Administration officials.

This was one of over 100 calls for service Wall Township Emergency Services responded to over the course of three hours during the storm, police said.

There was a fire Saturday night at a home on Magnolia Street in Sea Girt Estates, Mayor Timothy Farrell said Saturday, after lightning struck the house. No one was injured, he said.

JCP&L reported 4,500 customers lost power in Wall on Sunday in an outage but said Monday that power was "pretty quickly" restored Sunday night, according to spokesperson Chris Hoenig.