Plane Rolled Off Runway

Against all odds, 76 passengers and crew miraculously escaped disaster yesterday when their Hermes airliner careened off the runway during a stormy landing at Southend Airport. Torrential rain and failed brakes sent the massive aircraft skidding across a muddy field, tearing through a fence, scaling a grassy embankment, and finally lodging its nose into the gravel of the London-bound railway tracks. Amid the chaos, all on board evacuated safely—though five travelers were hospitalized for shock and two crew members sustained minor injuries. This gripping image captures the aftermath: the crippled plane, battered but intact, stands as a testament to survival. (Photo by © Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS)