Passengers evacuated as flight skidded into grass

LONDON: Tourists who boarded from Nice were evacuated at Birmingham Airport from Monarch flight after it overshot a runway and skidded onto the grass. Those on board claimed there had been a problem with the plane before take-off and it was also revealed the plane had been in another major incident last month. Britons travelling on the Boeing 737 said the plane had been 'juddering' as it turned right just prior to take off in Nice. They said that the plane had been making the same manoeuvre just after landing when it skidded off the runway leaving the nose wheel and main undercarriage buried in the mud. The aircraft suddenly 'tilted' before coming to a stop on grass. Emergency crews raced to the scene to rescue the stricken passengers and all flights at the airport were suspended this afternoon. The incident led to a two-hour closure of the airport while the plane involved was moved from the runway.