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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Probe Into Heathrow Crash Landing
Updated:17:49 BST, Thursday January 17, 2008
Probe Into Heathrow Crash Landing
LONDON, ENGLAND: Investigators are trying to piece together what caused
a British Airways passenger jet to crash land at Heathrow Airport. The
plane hit the ground several hundred yards short of the runway, narrowly
missing a busy road.
The Boeing 777 had lowered its landing gear as it went to touchdown but witnesses have described how moments later it "dropped" out of the sky.
A Heathrow spokesman said the plane carried out an emergency landing at 12:42 pm (12:42 GMT) and that it had been fully evacuated.
More than 150 people were forced to dive down inflatable chutes and onto the tarmac as emergency services rushed to the scene. British Airways said Flight 38 came down as it was approaching the south runway of the London airport after flying from Beijing.
Only six passengers on the crashed plane have needed hospital treatment for minor injuries, the London Ambulance Service said.
After a temporary halt to flights, air traffic controllers now say planes are taking off and landing on the airport's northern runway. There are, however, many delays, with some planes diverted to other London airports.
A London police spokesman said there was no suggestion that terrorism was involved...
-- Source/continues: http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,70131-1301161,00.html
Edited on: Thursday, January 17, 2008 12:21.22
Categories: Emergency Services