World's largest aircraft crashes on its second attempt at flight
The world's largest aircraft's second attempt at flight didn't go nearly as well as its first. A week after the Airlander 10 successfully completed its maiden flight, the 302-foot-long aircraft took a nosedive while attempting a second test flight Wednesday. The aircraft, nicknamed the "Flying Bum" because of its rounded backside, reportedly hit a telegraph pole while it was landing at Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire, located in south-central England.
"The flight went really well and the only issue was when it landed," a spokesman told BBC. The crew is reported "safe and well," but the Airlander 10 wasn't so lucky. Reports indicate the aircraft's "front and sides," as well as its cockpit, were damaged in the botched landing, Sky News reported.
The aircraft, which measures about 50 feet longer than the world's largest passenger jet, is a hybrid between a helicopter and a blimp, as it's filled with helium. When Airlander 10 is fully up and running, it's expected to be able to stay in the air for up to five days.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
6 homes for entertainingFeature Featuring a heated greenhouse in Pennsylvania and a glamorous oasis in California
-
Obesity drugs: Will Trump’s plan lower costs?Feature Even $149 a month, the advertised price for a starting dose of a still-in-development GLP-1 pill on TrumpRx, will be too big a burden for the many Americans ‘struggling to afford groceries’
-
The ‘Kavanaugh stop’Feature Activists say a Supreme Court ruling has given federal agents a green light to racially profile Latinos
-
Chile picks leftist, far-right candidates for runoff voteSpeed Read The presidential runoff election will be between Jeannette Jara, a progressive from President Gabriel Boric’s governing coalition, and far-right former congressman José Antonio Kast
-
Venezuela mobilizes as top US warship nearsSpeed Read The largest and most advanced US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has entered the Caribbean and put Venezuela on high alert
-
Nigeria confused by Trump invasion threatSpeed Read Trump has claimed the country is persecuting Christians
-
Gaza ceasefire teeters as Netanyahu orders strikesSpeed Read Israel accused Hamas of firing on Israeli troops
-
Argentina’s Milei buoyed by regional election winsSpeed Read Argentine President Javier Milei is an ally of President Trump, receiving billions of dollars in backing from his administration
-
Proposed Trump-Putin talks in Budapest on holdSpeed Read Trump apparently has no concrete plans to meet with Putin for Ukraine peace talks
-
Bolivia elects centrist over far-right presidential rivalSpeed Read Relative political unknown Rodrigo Paz, a centrist senator, was elected president
-
Madagascar president in hiding, refuses to resignSpeed Read Andry Rajoelina fled the country amid Gen Z protests and unrest