Passengers were led to safety after a 1930s aircraft was damaged and left tilted in the air during a ‘minor incident’ this morning at an airshow.
The WW2-era biplane, which was carrying eight passengers and a pilot, was photographed virtually vertical moments after the plane’s front end collided with the ground.
According to one witness, the plane, a de Havilland Dragon Rapide, ‘nose-dived or the front wheel failed on landing.’
After the incident, which occurred at a July airshow at Duxford Imperial War Museum in Cambridge, firefighters were spotted standing close to the jet.
According to IWM Duxford, the aircraft did not nose dive into the earth but instead slanted forward upon landing, and no one was injured.
When the incident happened, there was a ‘strong gust of wind,’ according to Paul Hodson, who photographed the aftermath.
The plane in question was a de Havilland Dragon Rapide, which was first produced in 1934 and is primarily made of plywood for short-haul flights.
It played a minor role in WWII, when it was used to transport aerial couriers between the United Kingdom and France. Although, later on, a military-oriented version was produced.
An eyewitness told CambridgeshireLive: ‘It looks like a plane has landed nose first, the end of it is in the air, two fire engines, presumably from the air field and a crane.’
When IWM Duxford were contacted for a comment, they said it was only minor and everyone is safe.
A spokesperson for IWM Duxford said: ‘This morning, there was a minor incident with an aircraft at IWM Duxford. No one involved was injured, the incident has been fully dealt with and the flying programme for today’s event will run as planned.’
The specifics of the occurrence, such as how and why it occurred, have not been revealed.
The Duxford Air Show, which featured a number of aircraft and Battle of Britain exhibits, was held this weekend and will continue through 6 p.m. tonight.