BRITAIN: Air accident investigators will continue their inquiries today into a crash at Birmingham International Airport in which five people were killed after a private jet crashed and burst into flames on take-off.
The three crew members and two passengers on board the twin-engine Challenger jet, all US citizens, were travelling to Bangor, Maine, when the aircraft crashed and flipped over on take-off at 12.07 p.m. yesterday. Eyewitnesses said one of the aircraft's wings clipped the runway as it took off.
Fire crews based at Birmingham airport were on the scene within one minute but the fire was too intense for them to get inside the aircraft. The black box flight recorder was later recovered but there was no comment from police about the possible cause of the incident.
The aircraft was registered with the agricultural equipment company, AGCO Corporation, which is based in Georgia, in the US, and has 1,800 employees at its UK plant in Banner Lane, Coventry. The passengers on board the jet were named as Agco's chief executive, Mr John Shumejda, and Mr Ed Swingle, who was the company's senior vice-president for sales and marketing.
Mrs Joan Hood, who lives close to the airport, told BBC Radio WM: "My husband and I went out to the front of the house, where we can see over the runway, and there was a thick black plume of smoke rising to about 100 ft." Offering his sympathy to the families and relatives of the people killed, the Bishop of Birmingham, the Rt Rev Mark Santer, said the crash was "tragic news" particularly at the beginning of a new year.
"I ask people of all faiths to pray for the families and friends of the crew and passengers who lost their lives. We value our airport and its excellent safety record. There are many people who work at the airport, providing an invaluable service. They will be deeply shocked by this incident and our concern must also be for them."