Plane carrying the German national football team declares mid-air emergency over Scotland and is forced to land in Edinburgh
A plane carrying the German national football team declared a midair emergency over Scotland this morning and was forced to land at Edinburgh.
It was unclear what had sparked the drama or if the plane was damaged in any way.
The team had been heading back to Frankfurt from Reykjavik after a 4-0 win against Iceland in a World Cup qualifying match.
Flight plans showed the plane’s intended route from Reykjavik to Frankfurt and its diversion
The Boeing 737 was flying over the far east of Scotland when it suddenly diverted to Edinburgh
Flight plans showed the Klasjet flight KLJ2703 making an abrupt turn between Dundee and Arbroath and rapidly descending.
The plane, a Boeing 737, was said to be ‘squawking 7700’ – meaning its transponder was reporting the craft had an emergency.
It landed safely at around 4am UK time.
The team’s official account Tweeted: ‘#infotweet. Safety first. Safe stopover as a precaution in Edinburgh. From there, individual onward and return journeys are planned.’
A follow-up message said: ‘We are fine. Safety checks on the aircraft are continuing.’
The flight had taken off at 12.52am local time (1.52am BST) from Reykjavik’s international airport.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.