UK - Airport Alerts as planes hit by severe weather

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AIRPORT ALERTS AS PLANES HIT BY SEVERE WEATHER Torrential rain and high winds have been blamed for two passenger plane emergencies.

Gatwick Airport was closed for two-and-a-half hours after a Boeing 767 carrying 146 people skidded off the runway and into mud.

And four people were taken to hospital after the undercarriage of a plane collapsed at Bournemouth International Airport.

The Gatwick to Jersey flight had been diverted to Bournemouth after it was battered by strong winds and forced to turn back.

Diverted

At Gatwick none of the passengers on board the Britannia flight from Manchester were injured.

But there were serious problems as London-bound flights were diverted away from the airport.

Delays are expected on Wednesday as up to 27 affected flights return to Gatwick.

Collapsed

In Bournemouth two children and two adults were taken to hospital after the wheel in the nose cone of their plane collapsed. They are not thought to be seriously injured.

Air accident investigators from the Department of Transport examined the plane and the airport was closed after the incident which happened shortly before 8.30pm on Tuesday. It was expected to reopen on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the airport said: "We can confirm that an ATR-72 aircraft operated by CityFlyer Express with 40 passengers and four crew on board experienced a nose wheel collapse while landing at Bournemouth International Airport.

"The aircraft was en route from Jersey to Gatwick and was diverted into Bournemouth. A full emergency was declared and police, fire and ambulance were in attendance."

Flood warnings

The accidents happened after large areas of England and Wales were hit by severe weather.

The Environment Agency issued 33 flood warnings and 65 flood watches.

But it is hoped that serious damage has been averted, with weather conditions on Wednesday described as "reasonably stable".

http://www.sky.com/news/uk/story5.htm

-- Doris (reaper@pacifier.com), October 11, 2000


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