Plane Skids Off Runway in Indonesia

MALANG, Indonesia (AP) — A jetliner carrying 97 passengers and crew skidded off a rain-soaked runway at an airport on Indonesia's Java island Thursday, forcing an emergency evacuation in which five people received minor injuries, officials said.

The Boeing 737-200's front axle snapped during the landing in a downpour at Malang airport. The Mandala Airlines aircraft skidded and overshot the runway by 260 feet, air force spokesman Capt. Wahyudi said.

Five people suffered scrapes and bruises while exiting the plane, said Wahyudi, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

Officials at Mandala Airlines said the cause of the accident was being investigated.

A series of airline accidents in Indonesia killed more than 100 people early this year, prompting the European Union to blacklist all its airlines. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also downgraded the nation's rating to its lowest category.