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
Jersey’s British and French populations riot
- British and French people resident in Jersey rioted in 1900 in response to a war taking place in South Africa.
- Read more…
St Brelade’s Church is consecrated
- Although the church at St Brelade was consecrated in the 12th century, evidence suggests a building had resided on that spot for some time.
- Read more…
Jersey court fines man three months’ pay for swearing
- The Jersey court fined a man almost three months' pay for uttering a single swear word at his boss in 1891.
- Read more…
A jilted lover shoots his bride to be (or was she his wife?)
- Francis Caillot, a town crier and boot maker, was convicted of murder and was transported to Tasmania as punishment.
- Read more…
