Edinburgh-bound Flybe plane diverted to Manchester after 'mid-air emergency'

Plane diverted over Yorkshire

A PASSENGER plane heading to the Capital had to be diverted after oil warning light came on in the cockpit

Crew of the Flybe BE774 service from Southampton, with 69 passengers on board, declared an emergency above Bradford on Friday night.

Fire crews were put on stand-by as the pilot safely landed the turboprop at Manchester Airport shortly after 10pm.

The Flybe turboprop was heading to Edinburgh

"Emergency landing in Manchester diverted from route to Edinburgh," one passenger posted on Twitter.

Passengers were put up in a hotel for the night before continuing their journey or heading home on Saturday.

A Flybe spokesman said: "Flybe can confirm that the captain of the above flight elected to divert to Manchester Airport as a precautionary measure due to an engine oil pressure indication.

"Having followed all the required procedures, the aircraft landed safely without incident.

"All 69 passengers disembarked as normal when the aircraft arrived on stand and were re-accommodated on an alternative aircraft to continue their journey.

"As is standard procedure, the airport put its emergency vehicles on standby as a precautionary measure.

"The safety of its passengers and crew is the Flybe’s number one priority and the airline apologises for the inconvenience experienced."