Plane crashes onto busy road in Spanish holiday hotspot moments after take-off forcing panicked tourists to flee
A PLANE has crashed onto a busy road in Tenerife just moments after taking off sending panicked holidaymakers fleeing.
The aircraft reportedly suffered engine failure with the pilot attempting to pull off an emergency landing as the plane hit the ground at speed, with debris flying across the street.
Tourists staying in the south of Tenerife were left shocked as the plane angled towards them during the unplanned landing.
The pilot managed to touch down on a street just outside the Amarilla Golf resort before hitting a lamppost and trees as it came to a standstill.
The force of the landing caused the aircraft to sustain serious damage.
Pictures showed the dented plane with its wings snapped and front nose separated sitting in the middle of the road.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and doused the aircraft and surrounding road in foam to prevent the fuel which had spilled out from igniting.
Brit holidaymaker Jasmine Knight, from Northampton, told Canarian Weekly she was with her partner and brother-in-law when the plane came crashing down.
She said: “We had to run to avoid the plane when it hit a lamppost and trees, bringing it to a standstill before it reached us.”
“I dread to think what would have happened otherwise.”
The frightening crash happened at 5pm on Thursday, with no injuries being reported.
Both the pilot and co-pilot were safe but had been taken to hospital for precautionary checks.
A spokesperson for the Spanish emergency department said: “The ambulance crews dispatched by the SUC assessed the two occupants who exited the aircraft on their own and transferred them to a hospital for observation and further evaluation.”
“They do not appear to have serious injuries.
“Firefighters poured a foam blanket over the area to prevent the fuel spilled on the road from igniting.
“The accident did not affect pedestrians or other vehicles.”
The registration of the plane was EC-NME and it is a Reims-Cessna F172M Skyhawk, operated by the Blue Team Flight School.
