NEW YORK, July 22 (UPI) -- The nose gear on a Southwest Airlines flight from Nashville collapsed at New York's La Guardia airport Monday, shutting down incoming traffic.

Southwest Flight 345, a Boeing 737, came to a stop on Runway 4 without its landing gear, though the back wheels did come down, CNN quoted Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown as saying.


The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told CNN 11 of the 160 people on board experienced non-life-threatening injuries, including six passengers and five crew members. Six people were taken to hospitals.

A witness told CNN he saw a tire rolling down the runway and a shower of sparks near the jet's nose as it landed.

The airport halted all arrivals after the 5:40 p.m. EDT incident, but one runway had reopened Monday night.

The jet's inflatable slides were deployed and emergency vehicles had surrounded the scene, and the passengers had been evacuated.