Passengers on the American Airlines plane that overshot the runway in Jamaica and stopped just seconds away from the sea told of their terrifying ordeal today.

AN American Airlines flight carrying 154 people skidded across a Jamaican runway in heavy rain, bouncing across the tarmac and injuring more than 40 people before it stopped just short of the Caribbean Sea, officials and witnesses said.

An American Airlines flight from Miami overshot a runway and broke in two during a heavy rainstorm in Kingston, Jamaica early today, injuring dozens of people.

The US Coast Guard conducted a training exercise in Washington DC’s Potomac River near the Pentagon amid September 11 commemorations today, sparking confusion that scrambled FBI agents and led the nearest airport to briefly ground flights.

Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell was mildly critical last night of Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, whose angry response to a police officer touched off a national debate on race that involved President Barack Obama.

Two United Airlines planes are being inspected today after their wings collided at Dulles International Airport outside Washington DC.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams is on his way to Boston by train following last night's incident when he was stopped at Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was detained at a Washington airport yesterday after attending a meeting of Irish leaders with US President George Bush, causing him to miss a scheduled St. Patrick’s Day appearance in Buffalo, a congressman said.

A small plane strayed within three miles of the White House, leading to frantic evacuation of the Executive Mansion and the Capitol with military jets scrambling to intercept the aircraft and firing flares to steer it away.

US Airways Group, hit hard by a slump in travel after the September 11 terrorist attacks, filed for bankruptcy protection, the company said.

The last US airport closed after the terror attack on New York is reopening. Washington's Reagan National Airport will reopen on Thursday under intense security