Flybe flight close to Birmingham Airport crash

A FLYBE flight packed with passengers came within "100 yards" of crashing into a private plane at Birmingham Airport.

An urgent investigation was today under way into the near-miss, which happened due to a runway mix-up this week.

The budget flight was taxiing ahead of take-off when a Belgian privately-operated TBM 700 light aircraft landed "dangerously" close.

An employee at Birmingham Airport today said the drama, which happened at 3.35pm on Wednesday, had been "highly dangerous for everyone involved".

"The plane was packed - this could have been a disaster," he said.

Civil Aviation Authority spokeswoman Alexandra Coleman said an investigation had been launched into why the private craft had landed on the same runway as the Flybe plane.

"We can confirm there was a safety incident at Birmingham Airport," she said. "The Air Accident Investigation Branch will be investigating."

The flight was headed to Guernsey and had 47 passengers and crew on board.

Spokesman Ryan Sketchley said: "We can confirm that Flybe staff have given witness statements to the AAIB."

It is understood the flight eventually took off.

Airport spokesman Daniel Scaife said: "An investigation has been launched externally.

"Due to that, we can't comment at the moment."

EXCLUSIVE By Charlotte Cross