Jet Wing Hits Building at Johannesburg Airport (VIDEO)
A jet wing hit a building at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport Sunday night in South Africa, according to reports. The accident, which was caused by a runway mix-up, resulted in four airport staff getting injured.
The jet wing that hit the building belonged to a British Airways Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet that was carrying 189 passengers, NBC news reported. The plane was headed for London in the U.K. and was ordered to taxi on runway B. Instead, the pilots tried for the much narrower runway M, resulting in disaster.
The plane, which has a wingspan of about 210 feet, struck the side of an adjacent building. The falling debris caused injuries to four ground employees, the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
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The sound of the crash reverberated in the cabin very loudly, Harriet Tolputt, a spokeswoman for international aid organization Oxfam who was on the flight, told NBC news. No one onboard was hurt, but they were frightened and she was annoyed that first class passengers were allowed to exit first after an hour of waiting.
The passengers were taken to hotels and their flights will be re-booked on British Airways, CanadaJournal.net reported.
The airline has launched a "full investigation" into the incident to discover how such a mistake could have been made. The Boeing jet was moved to a remote location so it wouldn't disrupt airport operations, an ACSA spokeswoman told the Associated Press.
To see video of the jet wing crash incident, click below.
