Scotland team in flight drama

The Scotland football team were today involved in a mid-air flight drama.

A jet carrying the squad had to pull out of landing moments before it was due to touch down at Heathrow.

It is thought another plane was still on the runway as the British Airways flight carrying the footballers made its final approach.

The plane circled the airport and landed safely 15 minutes later. Nobody was injured in the incident.

Manager George Burley and his team were travelling on BA flight 1479 from Glasgow to Heathrow when the incident happened.

They were stopping in London to catch an onward flight to Japan, where they are playing a friendly on Saturday.

Scottish Football Association (SFA) spokesman Rob Shorthouse, who was on board the plane, said: "We were around 50ft off the ground.

"The front of the plane was too close to another plane, so we had to lift upwards.

"The players reacted in the same way as everyone else onboard the plane. There was a lot of nervous giggling but everyone is okay."

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith, travelling with the Scotland party, played down the incident.

He said: "We were on our way down and then we took off again.

"If you were not a frequent flier then it might have been something but it has happened to me before.

"Indeed, the pilot said, 'I'll have another go at it,' and everyone started laughing."

A BAA Heathrow spokesman said the team's plane arrived 15 minutes ahead of schedule, adding the airport had "no record" of the incident.

The squad are due to arrive in Japan at lunchtime tomorrow.