By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TWO pilots escaped injury after a 1941 DC-3 carrying about 6,000 pounds of lobster veered off the runway during take-off at West End Airport, Grand Bahama, on Monday.

The DC-3 had flown in from Fort Lauderdale to collect freight for export when it struggled to get airborne. Around 2.30pm, the vintage aircraft briefly lifted off the runway before dropping back down, skidding left and ploughing into bushes along the airport’s northern perimeter, about 50 feet off the tarmac. The plane was damaged, but both pilots walked away uninjured after being checked by medics. Authorities are investigating the mishap.

Kurt Neely, owner of Broadwalk Seafood, confirmed his company had contracted the flight to export thousands of pounds of seafood. “Fortunately, there was no loss of life or damage to the product,” he said. “We had another flight come in to pick up the product this (Tuesday) morning.”

Although he was not at the airport, Mr Neely said he was told the plane overshot the runway. “My only concern was to make sure there were no injuries and that we had no loss of product,” he said.