Plane blown off runway, another catches fire in Britain

London, January 2: A passenger aircraft was blown off the runway by strong winds at the Stornoway Airport in Scotland’s Isle of Lewis, injuring four people, media reported on Friday. The Logair Saab 340 aircraft, with 28 people on board, was taking off for Glasgow, when a wheel collapsed due to heavy winds, causing it to veer off the runway, Sky News reported. Police said two men were taken to hospital and two women received minor injuries but declined medical assistance, according to a related report on BBC. A full investigation into the incident is underway. One passenger told the BBC that it felt as if the plane’s tail was caught in a crosswind. “Efforts to remove the aircraft from the runway are ongoing and investigations into the cause of the incident are under way,” Stornoway Airport Magement said in a statement. “It is our intention to resume normal operations as soon as the aircraft is safely removed from the runway. There are no scheduled arrivals or departures at Stornoway until later this afternoon,” it added. A Logair spokesman said: “All passengers and crew were safely evacuated and returned to the airport’s termil.” Meanwhile, a Blue Island Airways plane travelling from Jersey had to be diverted from London City Airport to Southend Airport in Essex Friday after an engine fire, according to media reports. The fire was put out by the plane’s automatic systems before it landed safely around 8.30 a.m. None of the 28 people on board were injured, according to Essex Fire and Rescue. (IANS)