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Plane dive is blamed on camera ; EXCLUSIVE [People, The (England)](People, The (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) AN RAF plane plummeted almost 5,000ft when a digital camera which the pilot had wedged into the cockpit accidentally triggered the wrong button. The Airbus Voyager was flying 189 British troops to Afghanistan when it went into a dive at 33,000ft. The pilot finally brought it back under control - and made an emergency landing at an airstrip in Turkey. No one was badly hurt in the incident last month though several soldiers are said to have suffered bruises and minor injuries. An official inquiry found the pilot's camera had got lodged between his armrest and a control column - where it activated a command button telling the plane's computer to go into the dive. The black box showed no sign of any other failures. A source said: "This was potentially a very serious incident as people's lives could have been at risk. "But the camera explanation was bizarre - maybe the pilot fancied taking a few snaps. "In any case it's likely the individual concerned will face disciplinary action." (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. |