Historic Plane Goes Off Runway

Gear Problem Sends Historic Plane Off Runway

Video from Chopper 7 showed a Messerschmitt 262 in a ditch off a runway at the airport.

The Messerschmitt 262 is the first jet aircraft, a fighter launched by Germany in 1944. An Everett group recently started building some of the planes, of which only eight originals remain.

The plane was the first reproduction of the Messerschmitt 262. It had done a test flight Dec. 20 with its gear down, and Friday's flight was the first attempt at a "gear up" flight.

As the pilot landed, the left landing gear collapsed. The pilot managed to guide the plane off into grass, but it ended up in a ditch.

ME 262 ProjectMore on the ME 262 project

The group making reproductions of the planes, called the ME 262 project, is building the planes with new parts and planned to sell them for about $2 million each.