Passengers escape injury as jet crash lands

FORTY-NINE people escaped unhurt after the undercarriage of an aircraft collapsed during a landing at Bristol Airport. The pilot of the Jersey European Airways Fokker F27 turbo-prop was alerted to a problem after cockpit indicators warned him of a fault in the undercarriage as he made his first approach to the airport runway at around 9.30pm.

The plane circled round again after the airport authorities were warned that the aircraft, on a scheduled trip from Belfast City Airport, would be making a crash landing. Shortly after touching down, the starboard strut of the undercarriage collapsed. The plane veered off the Tarmac and on to a grassed area. The four crew and 45 passengers were taken off by the usual exits.