Delays after RAF jet emergency landing at Newcastle Airport
06.08.08
Passengers are facing delays today at Newcastle Airport after an RAF Tornado jet from Marham in Norfolk made an emergency landing and then overshot the runway yesterday evening after hitting a bird. It was later removed from near the runway but some flights were diverted with a number still subject to delays on this morning.
The fighter jet was in the process of landing when it failed to stop on the runway before coming to rest on grass. Ambulance crews were called to the scene and the incident caused major problems for passengers flying in and out of the airport. Arrivals were being diverted to other airports for over an hour - with hundreds of passengers then bussed back to Newcastle Airport - and departures suspended.
Two people on board the jet were taken to hospital with minor injuries following the incident, which took place just before 17:00, according to Northumbria Police. The Ministry of Defence said neither was injured. Its investigators will be probing whether the craft hit a bird or whether the bird became trapped inside the engine.
Graham Mason, a spokesman for Newcastle Airport, said: ‘The runway was closed for about 90 minutes and some flights had to be diverted to Manchester, Edinburgh and Durham Tees Valley airports.'
‘We have procedures in place to deal with these situations and I'm pleased to say they worked very well. The impact of the runway being closed was relatively limited because it was for a brief period of time, but we apologise to passengers who were affected.'
Another RAF Tornado, flying close to the first aircraft on Tuesday, also suffered a bird strike and requested permission to make an emergency landing at Durham Tees Valley airport. However, it went on to land safely at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire.
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