Passenger flight terror as Boeing 737 overshoots runway and stops just 15 yards from the sea

Passengers on a Boeing 737 were left terrified after the plane overshot the runway and stopped just 15 yards from the sea. 

The flight made the horror landing at Molde on the northern shore of the Romsdal Peninsula in Norway yesterday after setting off from Oslo.

The domestic flight, which takes around 45 minutes, departed an hour late at 6.19pm before skidding off the Molde runway in adverse weather conditions. 

The Boeing 737-800 stopped 49 feet short of plunging into the icy sea that surrounds much of the airfield.

The 11-year-old aircraft came to a halt around 492 feet beyond the end of the runway.

Passengers on the Norwegian flight were evacuated via slides as the emergency services raced to the scene.

A spokesperson for the low-cost airline said there were 165 passengers and six crew members onboard the plane at the time.

Authorities are looking into what caused the plane to overshoot the runway.

The Norwegian spokesperson said there was a lot of strong wind and that the runway was slippery from the freezing temperatures.

The country's airport operator Avinor and the local police said it was too early to speculate on the runway's condition, but confirmed strong gusts had been reported in the region.

Several passengers noticed that the plane had landed further along the runway than normal, adding that some people were visibly anxious about it.

They were taken into the airport terminal where they answered questions by accident investigators.

Avinor, the emergency services, and the municipality's crisis team all provided assistance at the scene.

Molde Airport temporarily closed the runway and suspended all flight operations.

The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority is assessing the situation.