British Airways (BA) said on Wednesday poor markings at Miami airport were to blame for a safety scare involving a jumbo jet carrying British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The Boeing 747, carrying 343 passengers and crew, was not damaged when it missed an exit on the runway on arrival from London about 6.15pm local time on Tuesday, prompting police cars and emergency vehicles to rush to the scene.
”The plane overshot the runway by a little bit. There was no damage to the plane and no injuries to the passengers,” Miami airport spokesperson Marc Henderson said.
The Miami Herald newspaper reported Blair and his immediate family were flying first class and were to vacation in the Miami area.
In London, an airline spokesperson said the pilot landed exactly as he should have done but that the turn-off from the runway was not well marked.
”The taxiway was not clearly visible so he radioed the tower for assistance,” she said. ”Anything about overshooting [the landing] is incorrect.”
Passengers told local media the airliner broke a couple of lights on the runway and that police and emergency vehicles surrounded the plane.
The airline spokesperson confirmed that lights were broken but said this occurred while the plane was being towed.
”How would you feel if you saw eight police cars rolling up? You expect the worst,” one passenger told Miami television station WSVN.
”It was really calm,” said another. ”We’re very English.” — Reuters