BA Plane having Blair On Board Overshoots Miami Runway
MIL/Agencies/World, Dec 27, 2006. Author:


 

December 27, 2006- A British Airways (BA) jumbo jet carrying British Prime Minister Tony Blair and more than 300 other passengers has overrun the main runway at Miami Airport in the US, reports in Britain said on Wednesday.

No-one on board the Boeing 747-400 aircraft was injured as a result of the incident.

BA said the pilot could not see the lights leading to the taxiway - causing him to hit more lights - and the plane had to be realigned.

Blair was on his way to stay with Bee Gees star Robin Gibb at his house in
Miami Beach, Florida.

The British leader was seated in first class on flight 209 from
London, which landed at 1815 local time (2315 GMT) on Tuesday, the US Secret Service was quoted by the BBC as saying.

The plane, with 343 passengers and crew on board, was not damaged and taxied to the terminal under its own power where passengers disembarked normally, a BA spokeswoman said.

Blair and his family are staying with Robin Gibb, the former Bee Gees star, who has a luxury home in
Miami Beach.

In
London, Downing Street confirmed Blair was on his winter holidays but said it never comments on specific arrangements.

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