Three dial 999 as plane misfires after taking off

Saturday 8th March 2008, 9:29AM GMT.

FEARING a twin-engined plane was going to crash, three people dialled 999.

‘It was misfiring atrociously with both engines,’ said a man who has lived under the flight path for 30 years. ‘I was listening to the engines being revved but the backfire was terrible. It just did not gain height.’

He called the airport soon after the Piper PA 31 Navajo took off at about 6.40 on Wednesday evening. He said that he had been told ‘all was in order and this type of aircraft was known to have this characteristic but was still allowed to fly’.