the beeb says...
Thursday, 12 December, 2002, 16:58 GMT
Four injured in air emergency
The flight was bound for Belfast City airport
Four people have been injured during an emergency on a flight from Birmingham to Belfast.
The crew of the Flybe aircraft, formerly British European, reported an emergency situation on Thursday after the plane had undergone a severe and unexpected movement during the flight to Belfast City Airport.
A male flight attendant suffered a broken leg when he was knocked to the ground while a female crew member sprained her ankle.
Another crew member suffered head injuries and all three were taken to hospital.
A passenger also suffered minor head injuries but did not need hospital treatment.
One passenger on the plane said the aircraft shuddered violently before going into a brief nosedive.
Safe landing
He said the pilot quickly brought it under control and circled a few times before landing at Belfast.
Belfast City Airport put its emergency plan into action but the plane landed safely and on time.
In a statement, Flybe said the BAe 146-200 aircraft was carrying 36 passengers and five crew.
It said: "The flight-deck crew immediately controlled the situation but unfortunately as a consequence of this incident, two members of cabin crew and a number of passengers incurred minor injuries."
A full investigation into the incident by the airline and the Department of Transport has been launched.
crew shaken but ok in hospital