6th May 1997
Newspaper plane crashes at Jersey Airport
Two crew had a lucky escape when their Fokker F-27 crashed on its final approach to Jersey. The plane had been nearly three hours late arriving, due to poor weather and strong crosswinds at Jersey.
Heavy landing
The crew were bringing in the morning papers from Bournemouth and landed heavily on the front wheel rather than the under-wing wheels. The front wheel collapsed into the body of the aircraft, then the main landing gear retracted as the aircraft bounced up and back down onto the runway, causing the plane’s undercarriage to hit the concrete runway. It slid forward on its belly for 15 seconds, eventually coming to rest on the grass off to one side of the paved surface.
The plane was damaged by the double impact and its extended slide. When the landing gear collapsed, the propellers hit the ground and were damaged, and the nose section was bent out of shape. Fortunately, it could still be repaired and returned to service.
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Other events that occured in May
A ship’s captain broke the law… or did he?
- When a ship's captain ended up in court for carrying too many passengers he argued that although he set off from Jersey, French law applied.
- Read more…
An Occupation escape attempt goes wrong
- Three Jersey men were captured when their wartime escape attempt failed. They were sent to mainland Europe where Maurice Gould died.
- Read more…
Jersey hosts UK’s first post-war Grand Prix
- British driver Reg Parnell won the 1947 Jersey International Road Race, considered to be the UK's first post World War II Grand Prix race.
- Read more…
Superman is born in Jersey
- Actor Henry Cavill, who went on to play Superman in various film adaptations, was born in Jersey on 5 May 1983.
- Read more…
