30 March 2008
Five people have died after a Cessna Citation crashed near Biggin Hill airport in Kent.
The accident happened at around 1430 local time on Sunday afternoon.
The aircraft crashed at the edge of a housing estate: one house and one garage were destroyed in the resulting fire. There appear to have been no physical injuries on the ground – happily, the occupants of the destroyed house were away.
The type involved was a Citation 1. The aircraft had just taken off from Biggin Hill for France. It reported severe engine vibrations shortly after take-off. The pilot issued a Mayday and was cleared to return to the airport.
The dead were two pilots and three passengers, who have not yet officially been named.
