Training Flight Turns Nightmare as Plane Crashes Through Fence and Crosses Road
A flight training exercise nearly ended in disaster when a plane veered off the runway during a botched go-around and crashed through an airfield fence – coming to a shuddering halt in a roadside ditch.
Go-Around Gone Wrong
A student pilot attempted a go-around, but the plane skidded 350 metres off the runway, heading sideways across the grass at just 20 feet off the ground. The instructor couldn’t get the aircraft climbing.
Close Call with Parked Jets
The tiny training plane narrowly squeezed between two parked, out-of-service airliners, but clipped the nose gear of one with its right wingtip, shearing off part of the wing.
Plane Crashes Through Fence and Across Road
The aircraft kept rolling, smashed through the perimeter fence, crossed the busy A429 road, and finally came to rest in a ditch beside the road.
Why Did It Happen?
According to investigators, a confused handover of controls between the student and instructor meant that vital go-around steps were missed. The plane was flying way too low and too slow, with insufficient power to climb away safely.
Both the student and instructor suffered minor injuries but thankfully escaped anything more serious.
