Plane Skids Off Runway With Blair Aboard

Associated Press 12.26.06,
8:56 PM ET -

A commercial jet carrying British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his
family overshot a runway at the Miami International Airport on Tuesday,
but the plane was not damaged and no injuries were reported, officials
said.

British Airways
(nyse:
BAB -

news
-

people
)
flight 209 from Heathrow Airport in London ran over a couple airfield
lights after landing around 6:15 p.m., but did not leave the pavement
and returned to the gate under its own power, airport spokesman Marc
Henderson said. No injuries were reported among the 343 passengers on
board.

Blair was among the passengers on the plane, U.S. Secret Service spokeswoman Kim Bruce said.

A
Downing Street official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he
wasn't authorized to talk about Blair's travel plans, said the prime
minister and his family were not hurt in the mishap.

He did not say where the Blair family was going, but Blair and his family have taken vacation in Bermuda before.

The
pilot stopped the plane at the end of the runway because he could not
see the lights to the taxiway, British Airways spokesman John Lampl
said.

"Apparently they're doing some resurfacing work and
relighting, so the lighting was poor. Just to err on the side of
caution, the captain decided to stop at the end of the runway and call
the tower," Lampl said.

The plane was then pushed into position
to return to the gate under its own power, and was on schedule for its
return flight to London with a new crew Tuesday night, he said.

Blair receives Secret Service protection whenever he lands in the U.S., Bruce said.