Elton John private jet: what happened as singer’s plane forced to make emergency landing in Storm Franklin?

Sir Elton John’s private jet was forced to make an emergency landing in the severe winds of Storm Franklin after suffering from a technical failure in the sky.

This is what you need to know.

What happened?

According to the Sun, Sir Elton’s private plane was forced to make an emergency landing following a technical failure at 10,000 feet on Monday (21 February) morning.

The 74-year-old singer was on-board his jet when it was forced to make three attempts at landing amid Storm Franklin’s 80mph winds.

The incident reportedly began shortly after Sir Elton left Farnborough Airport, in Hampshire, for New York, where he was due to perform at Madison Square Gardens as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

However, when the plane suffered from hydraulic failure, the pilot had to make a U-turn whilst approaching the coast of southern Ireland.

Heading back to Farnborough, the pilot radioed air traffic control to declare the emergency landing.

According to witnesses, emergency services gathered at the scene as the plane struggled to land.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service (HIWFRS) said in a statement: “Firefighters from Rushmoor, Hartley Wintney, Basingstoke, Fleet, Yateley and Surrey FRS were called at 11.16 on Monday morning to an incident at Farnborough Airport.

“No action was taken by HIWFRS with the incident dealt with by the airport fire service.”

What have eyewitnesses said?

Plumber Philip Thomson had been working when he saw the singer’s jet struggling with Storm Franklin’s harsh winds.

He told the Sun: “The terrible weather and epic gusts made it almost impossible to land. Two attempts to touch down failed.

“The plane was being buffeted and couldn’t make it. The aircraft’s nose was far too vertical. The plane was descending and was halfway along the runway when it gave up trying to hit the tarmac. It soared back in the air.

“A crowd had gathered after word went around that Elton was in difficulty. And as the plane came around again for a second attempt to land, the storm was doing its worst.

“The airport’s windsock was horizontal and the aircraft was being rocked from side to side by the wind.

“It was only at the third attempt to land that the plane got down. The pilot made a flatter approach and the wind had dropped slightly.

“Everyone watching was mightily relieved.”

He added: “I knew it must have been a work commitment in New York for Sir Elton to try to fly across the Atlantic in a private plane in a storm.

“But he wouldn’t have expected the jet to suffer a technical problem. It was so serious that I counted at least six fire engines that attended, along with the airport’s own incident team.

“The police and ambulance services were there, too.”

A source also reportedly told the news outlet: “It was a white-knuckle ride and Elton was shaken. But he put aside any personal anguish to get back on a plane. For Elton, quite literally, the show must go on.”

What has Sir Elton John said?

The Rocket Man singer has not spoken out about the incident yet.

Shortly after landing, he left the UK for New York once again for his Madison Square Gardens gig.

His Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour had originally begun in 2018, but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Sir Elton taking a break after having surgery on his hip.

Sir Elton confirmed his safe arrival in New York on Twitter, writing: “Hello New York! See you @TheGarden tonight #eltonfarewelltour.”

He sang some of his most iconic hits, including Rocket Man, Candle in the Wind and Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.

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