The main runway at Gainesville Regional Airport was temporarily closed after a corporate Cessna Citation slid off the runway.
The jet was flying in from Boston during heavy rains when it landed partially off the runway just before 11:30 p.m. last night. Two pilots and one passenger were on board, according to a news release from the airport.
The plane went slightly off-track, skidding over 1,000 feet before stopping in a ditch on the side of the runway, according to report from Gainesville Fire Rescue. A crane was needed to remove the 14,000 pound plane from the runway Tuesday morning due to damaged landing gear.
At least two flights coming in from Atlanta were redirected to Jacksonville International Airport and a Delta 100-seat aircraft scheduled for arrival Monday at 9:30 p.m. was rescheduled to Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
Two departures scheduled to leave the airport on Tuesday morning were also delayed for about three hours until the jet was removed.
The runway was cleared shortly after 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.
The jet is being stored in a secure hangar pending further investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA, however, officials say that rain is likely the cause.