Airliner carrying felons tips over on tarmac

An airliner loaded with 68 federal prisoners tipped over on a wing after mechanics jacked up a set of wheels to replace a worn tire at the airport. No one was injured.

The Boeing 727 was making a weekly stop in Salt Lake City Friday to pick up federal prisoners and drop others off when mechanics began working on the plane.

Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann said the plane was jacked up on asphalt not strong enough to handle the weight of a fully fueled Boeing 727. Mechanics also miscalculated the plane’s center of gravity.

“They should have either moved it, drained it of fuel or made other accommodations,” Gann said.

Maintenance workers and firefighters righted the plane using heavy equipment.

The inmates are being held in area jails while the plane is repaired, which officials said could take until Tuesday.

The chartered plane is owned by Planet Airways Inc. of Orlando, Fla. Last year another Planet Airways chartered flight carrying federal prisoners blew two tires while landing at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, forcing an emergency evacuation of the prisoners. No one was hurt.

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