Report reveals cause of air 'emergency'

A burning smell which forced a pilot to divert his Isle of Man-bound aircraft to Manchester Airport was caused by an overheating engine part, a report has confirmed.

The Flybe aircraft was travelling to the Island last December when passengers noticed something was wrong.

The report, by the United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, reveals that passengers drew attention to the smell, and two people saw sparks coming from an engine, which prompted a Mayday call.

Emergency crews met the aircraft as it landed but no one was injured.

Forty-five passengers and four crew members were onboard the the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 from Gatwick.

The report says both its engine air-intake heat adaptors were inspected and tested three days earlier.

Investigators ruled mechanical failure was to blame for the incident.