Sir Elton John
(Picture: REUTERS)Sir Elton John’s private plane was forced to make an emergency landing after suffering hydraulic failure at 10,000 feet, according to reports.
The singer, 74, was on-board the plane when it aborted landing twice due to Storm Franklin’s 80mph winds on Monday, reports the Sun newspaper.
The drama reportedly started shortly after Sir Elton left Farnborough Airport in Hampshire for New York, before the plane suffered hydraulic failure and the pilot had to make a U-turn while approaching the coast of southern Ireland.
Ambulance crews and fire services were scrambled to clear the runway to assist the plane, according to witnesses.
One, plumber Philip Thomson, told the paper: “The terrible weather and epic gusts made it almost impossible to land. Two attempts to touch down failed.
“The plane was being buffeted and couldn’t make it.”
It was only on the third attempt that Sir Elton’s £66m jet managed to touch down.
“It was a horrible thing to see, and you wouldn’t have swapped places with Elton on that small plane for anything,” said Mr Thompson. “I bet he said a few prayers of thanks.”
Despite the high-octane drama, Sir Elton left the UK for New York hours later to perform a gig at Madison Square Gardens as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
The legendary Rocketman singer didn’t let the incident affect his performance on stage, with fans praising his set.
Among them was the former Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, who said: “Had a great night seeing the Elton John Farewell Yellowbrick Road concert at Madison Square Garden with MP and Sarah.
“An amazing performer on his last trip around the circuit”.
The star, dressed in a white and black-patterned outfit with tails, sang some of his greatest hits for fans including Rocket Man, Candle In The Wind, and Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.
The tour, which originally kicked off in 2018, had been postponed because of Covid. The star was also forced to take a break after surgery on an injured hip.
The tour was pushed back to 2022, but shows in Dallas, Texas were also postponed when the star tested positive for Covid.
It is set to end in July 2023.
The Standard has contacted representatives for Sir Elton for comment.
