More than 100 federal prisoners were stuck in the Salt Lake area overnight after the plane being used to take them to prison was damaged at Salt Lake International Airport.
Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann called the accident "a mechanic's error." She said an attempt to change a bald tire on the 727 failed just after 4 p.m. Friday because the plane was jacked up on asphalt not rated to handle that kind of weight.
"They should have either moved it, drained it of fuel or made other accommodations," Gann said.
She said the plane fell off the jack and its nose was buried in asphalt at the Salt Lake Jet Center, an area of the airport on the east side of the airfield.
It is unclear exactly how many people were on board when the plane fell off its jack, but one report said 68 inmates and 23 crew members were on the plane. Gann said no one was injured.
The jet was in Salt Lake City to pick up some federal prisoners and drop off others, U.S. Marshals Service chief deputy James Thompson said. Gann said the flight, operated by Planet Airways for the marshals, lands in Salt Lake weekly.
Thompson said a total of 105 federal inmates were supposed to be flown out of Salt Lake City on that flight, and they would have to stay in the Salt Lake, Weber and Davis county jails at least overnight.
He said the Utah Highway Patrol assisted in transporting the prisoners to the various Wasatch Front jails.
"It was a secure transfer," he said. "No one was ever in danger."
He said the situation was handled smoothly because of the cooperation of local and federal law enforcement agencies.
Gann said it is unknown how severe the damage to the airplane is. She said the prisoners will likely have to stay in Utah "for a while" — though she did not elaborate — because either a new plane will have to be flown in or parts will have to be shipped to repair the damaged plane.
U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman Melodie Rydalch said the prisoners are expected to be in Utah until Tuesday. She said they were being taken from all over the country to various federal facilities across the country.
Thompson said the prisoners' violations varied. They had all been convicted and sentenced for various federal crimes, which could range from child sex crimes to drug charges to bank robbery.
The accident also caused a perimeter road, used by airport employees, to be closed briefly Friday afternoon.
E-mail: dsmeath@desnews.com