Airline pilot's artificial arm falls off during landing

BELFAST, Northern Ireland, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A Flybe flight from Birmingham, England, to Northern Ireland featured a particularly bumpy landing after a pilot's prosthetic fell off as he attempted to approach Belfast City Airport in gusty conditions. The incident happened earlier this year, in Febuary, but was only recently reported by United Kingdom's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

The pilot's arm fell off just as he had switched from autopilot to guide the plane manually to the ground. No one was hurt during the landing, and the plane was undamaged. According to the AAIB report, the pilot promised to be more careful about making sure his artificial limb was well attached.

In a released statement, Flybe said the pilot, Steven Robinson, was one of the company's most experienced. "At no time was the safety of passengers or crew compromised in any way," the company said.

Captain Ian Baston, Flybe's director of flight operations and safety, told the Belfast Telegraph that the airline values its crew's diversity, and as an equal opportunity employer "in common with most airlines, means we do employ staff with reduced physical abilities." He added: "The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority."