ionigeria.com Nigerian Newspaper
A PLANE carrying the Arsenal women’s team back to London after a Champions League match burst into flames.
Photos of the terrifying drama show flames shooting from an engine on the Boeing 737 on the runway at Braunschweig Wolfsburg Airport in Germany.
Witnesses say the plane – reportedly from a Maltese airline – made a loud bang just before it was about to take off on April 23.
Horrified pilots saw the blaze and quickly pulled the plane up on the tarmac and evacuated the passengers.
An airport spokesman told German newspaper BILD a bird strike on the engine had caused the fire.
The airport official added that nobody was hurt during the incident.
The team and Arsenal staff were put up in a nearby hotel.
They were then flown back to London today on a replacement plane.
The airport is jointly owned by the car manufacturer Volkswagen Group which is based in Wolfsburg.
The company uses the airfield as the home base for their own airline fleet operated under the Volkswagen Air Services brand.
Arsenal managed to claw back a 2-2 draw over Wolfsburg after conceding twice in the first 25 minutes.
It sets up a key clash for the Gunners next Monday as the play the second leg at home at the Emirates Stadium in London.
They could be propelled into the Women’s Champions League Final against either London rivals Chelsea or Spanish giants Barcelona.
Barcelona hold a 1-0 aggregate lead over Chelsea after beating them on Saturday at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues travel to Camp Nou on Thursday to settle the tie.
Arsenal last won the competition back in the 06/07 season – when it was known as the UEFA Women’s Cup.
And that win is the last time an English club claimed victory in the tournament, which has existed since 01/02.
