Three injured and London City Airport closed as engine 'explodes' on Swiss jet during take-off



Engine failed on Geneva-bound jet containing 74 passengers and four crew

Passenger Mike Mompi said jet engine had 'exploded' as it revved up



He said there were flames which 'grew and grew' and 'flying red-hot metal'



They were evacuated onto the runway from flight LX437 at 3pm today



Three of those on board were treated for minor injuries at the scene



Three people were injured and London City Airport was forced to close for more than an hour today after a departing plane's engine 'exploded' as it was taking off.



A passenger on board Geneva-bound flight LX437 said there was a large bang, flames which 'grew and grew' and 'large chunks of what looked like red-hot metal' flying into the air.

He added: 'In about 20 seconds we would have been in the air'.

Scroll down for video



Evacuated: Passengers are pictured leaving the Geneva-bound jet, which had to abort take-off



Shock: Passenger Mike Mompi, 28, sent updates from the stricken jet on Twitter after being evacuated Rebuffed: Mr Mompi rejected suggestions that an 'exploding engine' was a minor technical incident

Three passengers were treated for ‘minor injuries’ and others remained in shock after the incident which caused other incoming planes to be diverted and departing flights to be postponed or cancelled.

Passengers posted photos on Twitter of the stricken Geneva-bound Swiss plane being evacuated as 74 passengers and four crew got out onto the runway and sought refuge on the apron.

Mike Mompi, 28, who was flying to Switzerland for a ski holiday, said the Swiss International Airlines Avro RJ100 was revving up on the runway for take-off when it happened.

He said: 'There was a large bang and flames which grew and grew and large chunks of what looked like chunks of red-hot metal started flying up.

' People started freaking out... In about 20 seconds we would have been in the air.'

Mr Mompi added on his Twitter account that the plane was ‘just firing up for take-off on the main runway’ when the explosion happened.

He refuted the airport's claim there had only been a 'minor technical incident', saying: 'Exploding engine a minor technical incident?! 20 seconds more we'd been in the air. '

Cancelled: The stricken jet blocked the runway at London City Airport and flights were cancelled for an hour

Business: The airport caters for more than 3 million passengers a year, many in financial services (file photo)

Mr Mompi, a social impact investment adviser for London firm Impact Investment, said he didn't think anyone had been injured by the engine.

He suggested it was more likely they were hurt as people tried to get off the aircraft.

Swiss International confirmed that the RJ100 aircraft suffered an engine problem and the pilot aborted take-off.

A spokeswoman said: "The pilot aborted take-off at low speed due to an engine problem.

'Passengers and crew have been safely evacuated.'

Air Accident investigators launched an immediate inquiry and classified the incident as serious.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch said in a statement: ‘The AAIB have deployed a team to investigate a serious incident (involving only minor injuries) at London City Airport.’



London City Airport said one departing flight was cancelled and four were diverted because of the incident.

Probe: The Air Accident Investigations Branch described it as a serious incident with minor injuries

Shock: A passenger said the Swissair flight had chunks of red-hot metal flying into the air (file photo)

An airport spokesman said the plane was at the beginning of the runway when the technical glitch caused the plane to become stranded:’It had not started down the runway to take-off.’



She said: ’The crew ordered the evacuation.’



She could not say whether smoke or a suspected fire prompted the evacuation.



THE RJ100 PLANE WAS IN A PREVIOUS CRASH AT CITY AIRPORT

Today's incident involved an RJ100 jet, made by British Aerospace (now BAE Systems). Another RJ100 suffered difficulties at London City Airport in February 2009, when a British Airways flight from Amsterdam crash-landed there when one of its wheels failed. The 67 passengers and four crew on the flight were evacuated and paramedics treated four people for minor injuries. The RJ100 derives from the old British Aerospace 146, manufactured by the firm which is now known as BAE Systems. When the hub in Docklands opened in 1987, the 146 was for a time the only aircraft able to use the airport. The RJ100 first flew in May 1992, seats up to 128 people and is still widely-used.



The three injuries happened after crew deployed emergency chutes and passengers used them to escape the plane.



In a statement airport officials said: ‘London City Airport can confirm that a technical issue occurred onboard Swiss flight LX437, due to depart to Geneva at around 15.00 on Thursday 27 March 2014.



'Seventy-four passengers and four crew were evacuated immediately and three people were treated at the scene for minor injuries by the London Ambulance Service.



'The runway was closed temporarily and re-opened at 16.15.’

On its website the airport noted: ‘The airport runway is currently closed due to a minor technical incident. Flights will be disrupted, passengers should contact their airline for info.’

Later it posted: ‘The runway is now open, but flights may be affected by the earlier disruption.’

Lon don City Airport is smaller than its co unterparts Heathrow, G atwick and Stan ste d, but still has more than 3 million passengers pass through its doors each year.