High winds blow plane into building in Malta; no injuries

The plane was blown away from its parking area, an airport said.

ByABC News
December 28, 2017, 4:47 PM

LONDON -- A plane crashed into a building after it was blown away from its parking area by strong winds at Malta International Airport Wednesday evening, the airport said today.

The private plane, propelled by intense and widespread winds, crashed into a building, a lawyer for the Polidano Group, the construction company that owns the building, told ABC News.

No injuries were reported, according to Malta International Airport.

PHOTO: A privately-owned aircraft was blown off the airport apron and into an adjacent building as strong winds hit the Maltese islands, at Malta International Airport in Luqa, Malta, Dec. 27, 2017.
A privately-owned aircraft was blown off the airport apron and into an adjacent building as strong winds hit the Maltese islands, at Malta International Airport in Luqa, Malta, Dec. 27, 2017.

After breaking loose, the empty jet, a Dassualt Falcon 7X, was blown off the runway and down a slope, crashing through a perimeter fence before it smashed into a concrete bricks manufactuiring plant belonging to Polidano, which has offices near the airport, according to the firm’s lawyer.

“It seems that the brake holding the plane broke down and the plane was blown off from where it was parked, into a street, crashing into a building belonging to Polidano Group located opposite the runway,” the attorney, Jean Paul Sammut, told ABC News by phone from Malta.

“The building is unsafe for the time being,” Sammut said. “The full extent of the damage will not be known until the debris is removed.”

PHOTO: A privately-owned Dassault Falcon 7X business jet was blown off the airport apron and into an adjacent building as strong winds hit the Maltese islands, at Malta International Airport in Luqa, Malta, Dec. 27, 2017.
A privately-owned Dassault Falcon 7X business jet was blown off the airport apron and into an adjacent building as strong winds hit the Maltese islands, at Malta International Airport in Luqa, Malta, Dec. 27, 2017.

Malta’s Bureau for Air Accident Investigation opened an inquiry into the incident, Malta International Airport said.