Pilots: Brakes Were On, But Plane That Skidded Didn't Slow

The pilots of a Delta plane from Atlanta that skidded off a runway at LaGuardia Airport last week in a snowstorm have told investigators that automatic systems designed to slow down the plane weren't working properly.

The pilots said the plane's automatic brakes were set to "max," but they did not sense any deceleration as the aircraft veered toward Flushing Bay. They also reported to the National Transportation Safety Board that the runway appeared "all white" when they broke out of the overcast sky just moments before landing.

The plane's automatic spoilers — flaps on top of the wings that reduce lift and slow the plane down — didn't deploy, but the first officer deployed them manually.

Six passengers suffered minor injuries when Flight 1086 from Atlanta skidded off the runway Investigators say the plane's left wing destroyed about 940 feet of the airport's perimeter fence..

Tags: Atlanta plane, delta airline skids, LaGuardia Airport, delta plane that skidded, plane skids off runway