ff2
read back a few hundred posts over and you will see why both LTN and STN
were not chosen to divert too...
LTN had dirty wx, and app over large town...not the longest on runways either,
in 1967 a British Eagle Britannia took off from LAP (LHR) and one of its main LG
bogies got stuck and they could not retract the gear nor extend it again so she diverted to Manston and landed on a foam covered runway after burning up most of the fuel in a hold...poor old bird never flew again.
G-ANCG EMERGENCY LANDING MANSTON APRIL 20th 1967 - YouTube
in 1968 was BOAC 707-465 G-ARWE (EX EAGLE BTW) had an engine fire after t/o and returned immediately to LAP on now long gone runway 05