British Airways flight grounded ‘because of misplaced traffic cone’ at Aberdeen Airport

BY RICHARD WHEATSTONE From Daily Mirror UK

The plane was left stranded on the runway after being scheduled to fly to London Heathrow at 7.25pm after the offending cone ‘became wedged under the plane’

A British Airways flight has been grounded because of a misplaced traffic cone.

The plane was left stranded on the runway at Aberdeen Airport after being scheduled to fly to London Heathrow at 7.25pm.

Witnesses said the plane had to be inspected to see if the cone had damaged the engine after it became wedged in the undercarriage of the plane.

It is understood the plane lowered because of the weight of passengers and luggage boarding the flight and the cone became stuck underneath near the engine.

Passengers and crew were taken off the plane while technical checks were carried out before the plane was then able to take off shortly after 9.15pm.

Read more: KLM air hostess ‘flew drunk then staggered to car to drive home after landing’

Joe Churcher, whose girlfriend was on board the flight, tweeted: “BA flight grounded – by a traffic cone!

“Weight of passengers and luggage apparently dropped plane onto misplaced cone which damaged engine.

“Passengers and luggage being taken off BA plane to try to unimpale it from traffic cone.

“Pilot and crew say never seen anything like it…”

He later tweeted a picture of a member of airport staff next to a cone, alongside the caption: Ground staff taking no chances this time – cones under close guard as passengers get back on the plane.”

Twitter user @BIGwelshfish added: “Well done British_Airways Aberdeen best excuse ever!!

“CrushedCone BA1315 going nowhere!!”

A British Airways spokeswoman said: “The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority.

“Our highly trained engineers inspected the aircraft before it continued on its journey.

“We are sorry for the delay to customers’ travel plans.”

IMAGES:
Ground staff taking no chances this time – cones under close guard as passengers get back on the plane.
This is plane that was impaled by cone (now removed). Passengers have disembarked. No info on whether will still fly

For more on this story go to: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-airways-flight-grounded-because-7182507