Mind your heads! Plane misses motorists by inches at tiny tropical air strip

By DANIEL BATES

Last updated at 22:32 03 February 2008


Clearing the vehicles below by the narrowest of margins, a plane swoops in to land at one of the world's most dramatic airstrips.

Although the clearance is supposed to be 20ft, the scooter riders and car driver take no chances and duck for their own safety.

Pilots need a special licence to land at the strip on the island of Saint-Barthélemy, or St Barts, in the French West Indies.

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Enlarge   Shortest runway

Despite the apparent dangers, there have been only two fatal accidents at the airport over the years.

At 2,133ft, its runway is one of the shortest in the world and equivalent in length to five football pitches.

Tourist websites are upbeat about arriving by plane, with one saying: 'The landing, especially on a windy day, is an adventure in itself.'

The island, with a population of just 8,400, has become a hideaway for the rich and famous and visitors include the actor Harrison Ford and singer P Diddy.

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