Jumbo jet made emergency landing after passenger alert

A jumbo jet made an emergency landing after a passenger alerted air crew to a crack in the wing, an official report revealed yesterday. The traveller noticed the split in a fibre-glass panel as the British Airways 747 reached 15,000ft after take-off. He reported the fault to crew on the 26-year-old jet bound for Boston from Heathrow airport.

The pilot decided to return to Heathrow, 90 minutes after taking off. The captain told investigators he was worried the panel could fall off and damage the plane, or hit people on the ground. He was also concerned about "unnerving" the passengers, who still had five hours of their journey to complete.The aircraft made a low-level emergency call and landed at Heathrow.