A VERY CLOSE SCRAPE

‘Nose gear’ fails after take-off Emergency crews scrambled

OUR photos from the scene show the stricken aircraft tipped forward and resting on its nose after a dramatic landing yesterday.

Belfast International Airport said “full emergency procedures” were deployed after the nose gear on the Flybe flight failed.

The Co Antrim base’s operations director Alan White said: “There were a significant number of units because of the serious potential nature of the incident, so they were all on site by the time the aircraft was landing and it all went very smoothly thankfully.”

The pilot was hailed for his skill in safely landing the jet with 53 passengers and four crew members.

Only one person was slightly injured and taken to Antrim Area Hospital with a thumb strain but discharged soon afterwards.

Emergency crews were scrambled to Belfast International Airport at

1.30pm after the plane was diverted following take-off from George Best Belfast City.

Shortly after departing for Inverness, the BE331 flight reported an issue with the nose gear.

It then circled for almost two hours to dump fuel before diverting for an emergency landing. The runway was closed as emergency services assembled to assist those on board.

A Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Multiple paramedic officers, three rapid response paramedics, five A&E crews and two hazardous area response paramedics were dispatched to the scene.

“Following assessment and treatment at the scene by paramedics, one patient was transported to Antrim Area Hospital. All attending resources were stood down at 14:27.”

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said it was sending a team to the airport to investigate the incident.

A Flybe spokesman added yesterday: “There has been an incident involving one of our Bombardier Q-400 aircraft, flight no BE331 which landed with no nose gear in place.

“The aircraft departed from Belfast City at 11:07 local time bound for Inverness. The incident occurred at Belfast International Airport at approximately 13:30 local time.

“There were 52 passengers plus one infant on board and four crew members.

“We are sending a specialist team to Belfast to offer assistance and we will now do all we can to understand the cause of this incident.”

It had 52 passengers plus one infant and four crew on board FLYBE SPOKESMAN YESTERDAY

Nose drops as plane comes to a halt