Plane near-miss drama
PRINCE Harry and Meghan were caught up in an airport near-miss when their plane was forced to pull out of its landing to avoid a runway smash.
Pilots changed course after seeing a plane was already in their landing spot.
The Royals’ Qantas jet plunged to 200ft in its descent before rising and circling back for a second, safe touchdown. The couple, staff, including bodyguards, and 60 journalists were on the flight from Tonga to Sydney.
As the aircraft started to climb again after the sharp turnaround, pilot Nigel Rosser told passengers that “it was a missed approach”.
He announced: “There was an aircraft on the runway that was a little bit slow to roll and unfortunately
hadn’t cleared the runway. We were too close and the decision was made to abort.”
Journalists on the flight took to social media to update royal watchers on the drama.
Royal journalist Emily Nash told followers: “The pilot on Harry and Meghan’s (and our) plane just had to abort the landing in Sydney seconds from wheels down because of another plane on the runway.”
Another reporter tweeted: “Missed approach for the Royal Charter back into Sydney. Another plane on the runway.”
Meghan has been showing off her growing baby bump on the couple’s 16-day tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji.
After attending the Australian Geographic Society Awards last night, the pair will watch the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games today before jetting off to New Zealand.
Kensington Palace said they had no comment on the in-flight panic. An airline spokesman said: “The captain advised those on board they’d be doing a goaround as there was another aircraft on the runway.”
Meanwhile, David Beckham took sons Romeo and Cruz to the Invictus Games in Sydney yesterday.