Five die in executive jet crash on take-off

An executive jet crashed and exploded on take-off at Birmingham airport yesterday, killing three crew and two senior managers from an American multinational company.

A wing on the Challenger 604 jet was seen touching the runway just before it burst into flames, killing everyone on board. Experts said the crash could have been caused by engine failure, causing the plane to tip over and lose control.

The jet was taking off from Birmingham at 12.07pm, bound for Bangor, Maine, when people living near by heard what they described as an "almighty thump".

Joan Hood, who ran with her husband to the front of their house from where they can see the main runway, said: "We heard a muffled explosion and went to the front of the house and saw a black plume of acrid smoke about 100 feet high."

Airport fire services reached the plane within a minute of the explosion, but four people were immediately found dead. A fifth body was discovered after the area was searched.

The plane was leased by AGCO Corp, an agricultural equipment manufacturer based in Duluth, Georgia, which has a plant in Coventry. The company named the two passengers as its chief executive and president, John Shumejda, 55, and the vice-president for sales and marketing, Ed Swingle.

The plane was one of about 500 Challengers made by Canadair, a subsidiary of the Canadian company Bombardier. The series has a good safety record and has been involved in only three previous fatal crashes in over 20 years. This is the first one in which passengers have died.

Max Kingsley-Jones, the commercial aviation editor at Flight International magazine, said a strong gust of wind or engine failure were the most common causes of a wing clipping the runway. The wind was light yesterday, making engine failure the most likely cause.

The airport was closed after the crash, with flights diverted to Manchester, East Midlands and Coventry airports.