PHOTOS: London Bound British Airways Plane Crashes Into Building At Johannesburg Airport

A British Airways jet crashed into a building just before take-off at Johannesburg’s main airport on Sunday night December 22nd 2013, injuring four airport officials.

The flight was on its way to London when it had the impact that left four airport officials injured.

This photograph, taken by passenger Harriet Tolputt, shows the aftermath of the crash, with the plane’s wing buried in a building.

The flight veered off the taxiway as it headed to the runway and buried its right wing in the two-storey brick structure.

A spokesman for OR Tambo airport said all 182 passengers were taken off the 747 to spend the night in a hotel.

A statement from the South African Civil Aviation Authority’s (SACAA) preliminary report, the B747-400 aircraft was cleared for takeoff on Runway 03L.

The statement read:

It was confirmed to the SACAA that the air crew got instructions from the Air Traffic Control to taxi using taxi way B. The crew continued onto taxi way M which is narrower resulting in the aircraft impacting on an office building behind the SAA Technical hangers.

Four officials (of Bidvest, a South Africa-based distribution services and trading business) who were in the building were injured by the debris. The 17 Crew and 185 passengers who were in the aircraft escaped unharmed and were evacuated from the aircraft through door no. 5.

‘The South African Civil Aviation Authority wishes a speedy recovery to the injured officials.