SRQ Airport closes runway after problematic landing

Update: As of 7 p.m., flights have resumed on the main runway.

At about 4:30 p.m., Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport closed its main runway after a twin engine plane slid off the runway while attempting to land.

Although some flights are able to land and depart from the airport's secondary runways, flights with larger planes are being delayed, are in holding patterns or are being diverted to nearby airports until the main runway can be reopened. 

When the twin-engine plane attempted to land, its landing gear collapsed, causing it to skid off the runway, SRQ President and CEO Rick Piccolo said.

At 5 p.m., Piccolo estimated within an hour the airport will reopen the runway and resume flights as normal, once it's able to remove the plane and clear debris.

"The good news is no one was hurt," Piccolo said. "But we have an aircraft sitting on its belly off the runway, so we need to get that cleaned up."

Piccolo advised travelers to check with their airlines to get the latest departure and arrival information.