Two injured in Birmingham Airport plane crash
Two people are taken to hospital after a light aircraft, carrying an organ for a transplant operation crashes on landing at Birmingham Airport.
Birmingham Airport was closed after the plane appeared to crash and catch fire as it landed at the end of the runway this afternoon.
Two people aboard the Cessna plane were rescued from the scene by emergency services.
The pilot, 58, was treated for multiple injuries and airlifted to hospital. He is in a serious but stable condition in hospital, emergency services said.
A second man, believed to be in his 30s, was treated for burns and a back injury and later taken to hospital.
Organ onboard
The plane that crashed was carrying a liver for an immediate transplant operation, police said this evening.
West Midlands Police said the donor organ was safely transported with a police escort to the hospital it was destined for.
The incident caused widespread disruption to travellers, halting all flights and prompting gridlock on roads surrounding the airport.
One eyewitness said she saw smoke coming from the crashed plane.
A Birmingham Airport spokesman said: “We can confirm that an incident has occurred involving a private Cessna aircraft.
“The incident occurred on arrival into the airport and the emergency services are in attendance. The airport is currently closed.”
The airport spokesman added: “If you are due to travel to the airport this evening, please contact your airline for further guidance and do not come to the airport at this time.”
Injured hospitalised
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “On arrival at the scene crews found two patients who had become injured whilst travelling on board a private aircraft.
“One patient, a man believed to be in his 50s, was seriously injured. He was treated at the scene for multiple injuries and airlifted to University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire for further assessment and treatment.
“A second man was treated at the scene for flash burns to his body and a back injury. The man, believed to be in his 30s, was immobilised using a spinal board and neck collar before being conveyed via land ambulance to Heartlands Hospital.”
Two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, three senior paramedic officers, the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), a Tactical Advisor and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance attended, the spokeswoman added.
An Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) spokesperson said: “The Air Accident Investigation Branch was notified of an accident to a Cessna Citation aircraft that occurred at Birmingham International Airport at approximately 1554 hours local time.
“The AAIB has deployed a team of inspectors to conduct an investigation. A report will be published in due course, and at this stage it is not possible to speculate on the cause of the accident.”
