PLAYERS and staff from Leeds United Football Club escaped unscathed from a plane crash at Stansted Airport thanks to the quick thinking pilot and crew.

The Leeds squad was returning home on March 30, 1998, after a match in London, when an engine caught fire forcing the Emerald Airways plane to make an emergency landing.

An Air Accident Investigation Branch report published last week said the incident was caused by a catastrophic engine failure.

But thanks to the pilot who landed the plane again immediately and then organised an evacuation along with the crewall 40 passengers and the four crew members got out safely.

December 10, 2001 15:17