Flybe flight makes emergency landing
A Flybe pilot made an emergency landing after the aircraft’s nose gear broke following take-off at Belfast International airport.
Fifty-two passengers were on board the flight, bound for Inverness, on Friday morning.
According to flight tracking website Airlive.net, the aircraft spent two hours circling 3,800ft above the Irish Sea to burn off fuel before making the emergency landing.
One person was taken to hospital for a minor hand injury.
Flybe said: "Flybe can confirm that there has been an incident involving one of our Bombardier Q-400 aircraft, flight no BE331 which landed with no nose gear in place.
"The aircraft departed from Belfast City at 11.07 local time bound for Inverness. The incident occurred at Belfast International Airport at approximately 13.30 local time.
"There are 52 passengers on board and four crew members. Our primary concern is for the welfare of the passengers and crew."
The airport remained open throughout the incident, although there were delays.
Pilots’ union BALPA paid tribute to the cockpit crew.
BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said: "Landing without a nose gear is a very difficult manoeuvre, but one pilots train extensively for.
"The pilots in this case appear to have done a sterling job of bringing the aircraft back under those circumstances.
"We expect the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) will commence its work to look into this incident immediately, and we will support them in whatever way we can."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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