VP nominee Mike Pence Escapes Death

     Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s running mate, was unharmed when the plane he was riding in slid off the runway while landing on a rain-soaked Thursday evening at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, briefly prompting its closure.

Turbulent weather was credited for a bumpy approach that caused the Boeing 737 Eastern Airlines charter flight’s rough landing. The Associated Press reported that the pilot slammed on the brakes, and passengers reported smelling rubber after the jet came to a halt. Several on board noted a fishtail effect after the plane made contact with the runway.

All passengers and crew safely departed the jet via the back of the plane, but the situation could have been much worse. Two Port Authority officials told ABC News that only the airport’s arresting bed of crushed concrete kept the airliner from ending up on an adjacent highway. The National Traffic Safety Board said its first-response investigation team would be on-site Friday morning.