A British Airways flight from Amsterdam lost its front wheels, causing it to skid on the runway of London City Airport yesterday (2000 GMT, 0300 Hongkong time), the wires have reported. All 71 passengers escaped by emergency slides, although one person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
They were luckier than the passengers on the commuter plane, operated by Continental Airlines, which crashed on Thursday this week in Buffalo, New York due to severe ice buildup.
The incident shut down the airport’s only runway, diverting flights to other airports in southeast England. The Avro 146RJ100 was carrying 67 passengers and four crew.
London City Airport, located east of London, is used mainly for domestic and European operations. Its location, surrounded by water, makes landing on its runway difficult, experts said.
Margie T Logarta