Other News In Brief

Belfast Flight Nosedived 500ft Due To Error

A Flybe flight plummeted 500 feet in 18 seconds after an incorrect autopilot setting caused it to aim for the ground, an investigation has found.

Approximately 44 passengers and four crew members were on board the flight from Belfast City Airport to Glasgow Airport when the incident occurred shortly after take-off on 11 January 2018.

A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) stated that autopilot was engaged when the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprop plane reached an altitude of 1,350ft.

The aircraft continued to climb to 1,500ft but it "pitched nose-down and then descended rapidly" because autopilot was mistakenly set with a target altitude of zero feet.

Cockpit alarms alerted the captain and first officer to what was happening. They later reported they had "become visual with the ground".

The captain disconnected autopilot and recovered the aircraft, having dropped to 928ft.

The rate of descent suggests the plane may have hit the ground just a few seconds later if the crew had not intervened.

Flybe has taken several safety measures in response to the incident, including revisions to simulator training and amendments to pre-take-off checklists that are carried out by pilots.

Nicola Sturgeon Condemns Attack On Hibs Manager Neil Lennon

The First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has condemned the incident which saw Lurgan man Neil Lennon struck by a coin during a Hibernian match on Wednesday October 31.

During First Minister's questions, Mrs Sturgeon said that Scotland must take a zero-tolerance approach to that type of behaviour and stamp out all forms of bigotry and sectarianism.

"I saw some of Neil Lennon's press conference and thought he conducted himself with great dignity.

"Nobody should have to suffer the abuse and the attacks that he has. I unequivocally condemn anti-Catholic bigotry, anti-Irish racism, and sectarianism in any shape or form," the Scottish National Party leader added.

Translink Train Conductor Punched In Face

Translink is offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information after a conductor was assaulted on Monday 05 November.

The staff member is believed to have been punched by a passenger on the Belfast to Coleraine service, as they were disembarking at the Antrim station.

The company is reviewing CCTV footage and working with police.

A spokeswoman said: "We thoroughly condemn all instances of anti-social behaviour and have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to anyone that physically or verbally abuses our staff or customers."



(JG/CM)