Passenger plane has near-miss with Runcorn Bridge
A Flybe jet came within seconds of crashing into Runcorn Bridge over the River Mersey, a report has revealed.
The plane, carrying 61 passengers, was coming to land at Liverpool John Lennon Airport when it had the near-miss on 1 June, the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report said.
The BBC reports that the co-pilot disengaged the autopilot and as the cockpit alert sounded the flight path was adjusted.
According to the Liverpool Echo, the flight was descending at a rate of 2,000ft a minute and the alert was made at 894ft.
The flight crew continued the approach and landed the aircraft safely.
A spokesman for Flybe said: "The event highlighted in the AAIB report was thoroughly investigated by our own investigators and through correspondence with the AAIB.
"Both parties concluded that at no time was the safety of the flight compromised; however, in light of the event, and despite the AAIB making no recommendations, Flybe has taken a number of actions to further improve safety."
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