OHANNESBURG — An SA Airlink aircraft with 32 passengers left the runway and ran on to the grassy verge at the Port Elizabeth airport yesterday afternoon, Airports Company SA (Acsa) said.

The plane, bound for East London, veered off the runway at 1.30 pm on take-off and ended up 40 metres away from the runway, said Acsa spokesman Collen Naidoo.

No passengers or crew members on board were injured.

Netcare 911 spokesman Jeff Wicks said all the passengers were safely evacuated by Acsa firefighters and shuttled to the arrivals area.

“Passengers insist that, as the plane rumbled down the runway and gathered speed, they heard a loud noise from the left of the plane and it spun violently and skidded into the grass,” said Wicks.

“Besides being visibly shaken, all passengers and the crew are in good health.”

Naidoo said the runway remains closed until it is deemed safe, adding that a full investigation will be conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority and the SA Police Service.