'Flying Bum' Crashes —Ever So Slowly

Airlander 10, world's longest aircraft, went down after tangle with telephone pole
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 24, 2016 8:01 AM CDT

The world's longest aircraft is likely going to have a similarly lengthy repair bill after a bit of a bumpy landing on Wednesday during its second test flight in the UK, the BBC reports. The $33.1 million, 302-foot-long Airlander 10—officially named the Martha Gywn, but called "the Flying Bum" by some for its "pert, round back," per the Independent—was returning to the Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire when an eyewitness said a line hanging from the plane hit the pole and caused the plane to slow-mo its way into a nosedive, inflicting damage to its cockpit. A rep for manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles refutes the pole claim, but says the company is assessing what happened and tells the Independent the crew is safe and no injuries have been reported. (The Airlander had its maiden voyage less than a week ago.)

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