Air passengers on their way to Inverness were caught up in a mid-air drama when their plane was forced to turn back yesterday due to a fault.
Passengers on the Flybe service from Birmingham to Inverness service spoke of their anxiety after hearing a rattling and a banging from the craft mid-journey.
The pilot earlier told those on board that they would be returning to West Midlands Airport due to hydraulic problems.
Passengers then endured a 40-minute return flight and a further 30-minutes circling while the crew used up fuel before making an emergency landing.
The Bombadier Dash 8 Q400 left Birmingham at 9.15am and was due to arrive at Inverness at 10.50am.
It was approaching the Yorkshire Dales with 73 passengers on board when the emergency situation developed.
Fire engines and other emergency services were in position for the landing with passengers kept on board for another 30 minutes after touchdown, before being towed back to the terminal.
A jet was then drafted in as a replacement.
The delayed passengers arrived in Inverness at 2pm yesterday – more than three hours late.
Angela Birch and Martyn Huntley, of Birmingham, were en route to the Highlands for a two day break around Loch Ness.
Ms Birch, 57, said: “I thought one of the engines sounded a bit funny. Then the pilot came on and said there were hydraulic problems and we were turning around and going back to Birmingham.”
Ms Birch said when she saw the fire service on the runway and was worried that the plane might explode.
Keith Judd, a 56-year-old joiner of Leicester Forest East, said he heard a bang while in mid-air.
He watched firefighters and the pilot as they inspected the landing gear below the starboard engine.
Mr Judd said he saw fluid dripping onto the runway while passengers were waiting to be taken to the terminal.
There was also a knock-on effect for the return flight from Inverness-Birmingham. It was due to leave at 4.30pm but passengers were told that it would not depart until after 7pm.
A spokeswoman for Flybe said: “We can confirm that the captain elected to return to Birmingham from airborne following a technical fault with the aircraft.
“The aircraft landed safely without incident and was towed to stand where all 73 passengers disembarked as normal.
“As is common practice in such situations, the airport put emergency vehicles on standby as a precautionary measure.”
The airline apologised for the inconvenience experienced, but added: “The safety of our passengers and crew is the number one priority.”