Window falls off plane over Melbourne

A window that blew out of a light aircraft plunged about 1,000 metres and narrowly missed soccer players on a ground in Melbourne's north.

The startled players watched anxiously as the heavy window slammed harmlessly into a patch of grass near the oval at Bundoora, just after 2pm (AEST).

The emergency window, weighing several kilograms, fell off the veteran six-seater aircraft shortly after it took off from Essendon Airport, said Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) spokesman Peter Gibson.

Mr Gibson said the aircraft - a Rockwell Aero Commander last manufactured in the 1970s - was flying at between 2,000 and 3,000ft and the pilot was able to turn back and land safely at Essendon Airport.

He said the plane had not been in any danger but "obviously you don't want parts falling off an aircraft".

CASA and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will investigate.

Mr Gibson said it was quite rare for a part to break off an aircraft in flight.

"Over the last eight years I can recall two to three occasions where a door or window has fallen out, so it does happen," he added.

AAP

Exciting landing

When i came across this clip i thought it was worth sharing...

It's a short clip of an airliner coming in to land at Honduras. what makes it interesting is the hilly terrain around the airport as well as the severe down slope on final approach. Even though it is a perfectly safe landing, it still pretty cool to see how low the ground clearance is as the aircraft passes the cameraman all the way down to the runway. You can also notice the substantial crosswind as the aircraft touches down.


Insane Landing In Honduras - Watch more free videos