A world famous Vulcan bomber narrowly avoided disaster after it overshot a runway and was just inches away from crashing into cars on a busy road. The XM655 Vulcan bomber careered off the runway as it attempted to 'high-speed taxi test' at Wellesbourne Airfield near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks.
Pictures taken at the scene show the bomber’s nose just feet away from Stratford Road. It is understood that no one was hurt in the mishap which happened at around 11am on Friday (September 16).
The aircraft, which draws crowds of visitors, is looked after by the XM655 Maintenance and Preservation Society at the airfield. The Vulcan only occasionally makes high-speed taxi runs, and prior to last year had not done one for five years.
Police closed parts of Stratford Road. As the news of the incident emerged, the force said on Twitter: "Part of Stratford Road is closed near Wellesbourne Airfield after a plane came off the runway. Nobody was injured.
It was a startling sight for motorists and villagers, particularly as Vulcans are rarely seen in action. The Vulcan was the UK's airborne nuclear deterrent during much of the Cold War and only occasionally makes high-speed taxi runs.
Footage online showed the plane grinding to a halt as cars passed on the road. It landed within touching distance of a road sign, a stone's throw from the busy Stratford Road.
Striking images of the scene caught people's attention. @Fradgie wrote on Twitter: "Up close and personal - a bit of a mishap today causes the resident Vulcan bomber to overrun off the runway at Wellesbourne up to the B4086!"
@mjclaridge wrote: "Whoops! Vulcan Bomber overruns runway. This Vulcan isn’t in flying condition but regularly runs up and down the runway at Wellesbourne, Warwickshire. It usually stops in time though."
Assessments are being made to see if the aircraft is damaged.
