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Flugzeug von Landebahn abgekommen

Arrecife (dpa) - Ein Linienflugzeug mit 80 Menschen an Bord ist auf dem Flughafen der kanarischen Insel Lanzarote über die Landebahn hinausgeschossen. Die 74 Passagiere und sechs Besatzungsmitglieder kamen mit dem Schrecken davon.

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Wie die spanische Zeitung „El Pais“ soeben auf ihrer Internetseite meldete, entgingen heute um 7.10 Uhr 74 Passagiere und sechs Besatzungsmitglieder nur knapp einer Katastrophe. Es handelte sich um eine Boeing 737 der spanischen Fluggesellschaft Air Europa, die aus Glasgow kam. Nach ersten Informationen wurde niemand verletzt.

Die Boeing soll mit mit überhöhter Geschwindigkeit gelandet sein, und die Flügel der Maschine sollen heftig vibriert haben. So schoss die Maschine über die Landebahn hinaus, konnte aber direkt am Meer zum Stillstand gebracht werden. Nur einige Meter weiter und die Maschine wäre im Meer gelandet.

Der Flughafen Lanzarote war bis vor kurzem vollständig geschlossen. Näheres ist noch nicht bekannt.

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Passengers on a flight from Glasgow to the Spanish holiday island of Lanzarote found themselves heading straight towards the sea this morning as their aircraft overshot the runway and skidded into an area beside the beach.

The Air Europa flight landed at high speed on a runway which ends just before a short sloping run down to the beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

All 74 passengers and six crew members were evacuated from the Boeing 737 aircraft which eventually came to a stop just short of the fence which separates Arrecife airport from the beach and the sea.

"The aircraft came off the runway. No one was hurt," an airport spokeswoman explained.

The plane appears to have landed in wet and windy weather that may have made it difficult for the pilots to bring it to a halt.

"There were strong vibrations in the wings," one passenger told the EFE news agency after being transferred to the airport terminal.

An Air Europa spokesman told the Spanish press that the aircraft had endured an "unstable approach", but denied it had come completely off the runway.

"The runway was wet," a spokeswoman for the airline said. "Everyone is fine and the aircraft itself is in a perfect condition."

She said it had been a difficult landing but likened it to coming off a road and ending up on the pavement.

Pictures showed the plane had stopped on a stretch of asphalt beside what is known as the airport's "beach area".

Emergency services rushed to the aircraft after it ended up slewed to one side with its nose pointing towards the nearby waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

They were able to evacuate the passengers using a normal portable staircase. The passengers were later delivered to their hotels around the holiday location, which is part of the Canary Islands.

British tour operator Thomas Cook confirmed that it had chartered the aircraft.

"We can confirm that an Air Europa flight (AEA196), which was chartered by Thomas Cook, was involved in a runway incident at Lanzarote's Arrecife airport this morning," a spokesman said.

"Thomas Cook staff were on hand at the airport to assist all passengers and can confirm that all guests are now en route to their holiday hotels. Thomas Cook has called on Air Europa and the airport authorities to provide a full explanation."

Air Europa said it would launch an investigation into the incident.

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Das Unternehmen wies darauf hin, dass die Maschine bei der Landung zwar über die markierte Piste hinaus geraten sei, die asphaltierte Fläche aber nicht verlassen habe. Der Zwischenfall sei möglicherweise auf die Witterungsbedingungen zurückzuführen. Der Flughafen wurde für mehr als zwei Stunden geschlossen. Mehrere Passagiere berichteten, die Maschine sei bei der Landung ungewöhnlich schnell gewesen und habe an den Tragflächen vibriert.