JULY 11, 2002

Mansell escapes airplane scare

FORMER World Champion Nigel Mansell is the latest to escape a dangerous airplane emergency. Mansell was flying his Cessna Citation with two passengers from Exeter to Essex when the electronics which control airspeed and altitude on the small plane failed in bad weather.

According to the Sun newspaper, the ex-Williams pilot calmly returned the plane to Exeter with the help of the flight control personnel in the tower and performed a flawless landing. The 48 year old and his two passengers were greeted by a slew of emergency vehicles, but they were not needed.

"Most people in that situation could have panicked. It must have been pretty hairy up there," said a source from the airport in Exeter.