US fighter jet in emergency landing

AN AMERICAN fighter aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Scotland yesterday.

The F16 requested permission to land at Glasgow Prestwick Airport yesterday afternoon after reporting a fuel leak.

The airport activated its emergency response programme and alerted fire, police and ambulance services. The alarm was raised at about noon.

An airport spokesman said that the F16 aircraft landed safely, accompanied by another F16, and the emergency services were stood down shortly afterwards.

The jets were flying from Spangdahlem air base in Germany. They were among a group of aircraft heading from Germany back to the US.

Two ambulances attended along with three appliances from Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service.

The airport spokesman added: "Prestwick plans and prepares regularly for such an emergency and we are relieved it ended well."

The Ministry of Defence said it had no involvement with the incident.