Elton John's private jet makes emergency landing after engine failure

Sir Elton John's private jet was forced to make an emergency landing after it suffered engine failure at 10,000ft.

The 74-year-old Candle In The Wind singer was flying to New York to perform a Madison Square Garden as part of his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour when his plane suffered hydraulic failure.

Sir Elton's twin-jet Bombardier Global Express was then forced to return to Farnborough airport in Hampshire an hour after taking off where it made two failed attempts to land amid the high winds of Storm Franklin, before finally touching down safely.

Read more: Sir Elton John can’t wait for retirement and spending time with his sons

Plumber Philip Thomson was working at the airport and told The Sun newspaper: “The terrible weather and epic gusts made it almost impossible to land.

“The plane was being buffeted and couldn’t make it. The aircraft’s nose was far too vertical. The plane was descending and was halfway along the runway when it gave up trying to hit the tarmac. It soared back in the air.

“The airport’s windsock was horizontal and the aircraft was being rocked from side to side by the wind.

“It was only at the third attempt to land that the plane got down. The pilot made a flatter approach and the wind had dropped slightly. Everyone watching was mightily relieved.”

It is believed the Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me singer's plane made it as far as the southern coast of Ireland before the technical failure occurred and it was forced to make a U-turn.

Ambulance crews and police were alerted ahead of the landing attempts and firefighter crews from six stations were waiting on the side of the cleared runway.

Sir Elton caught another flight to the US later that day and was on stage the next day performing in the Big Apple.

Thomson added: "I knew it must have been a work commitment in New York for Sir Elton to try to fly across the Atlantic in a private plane in a storm."

The I'm Still Standing singer has been on the road with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour since 2018 and intends to retire when it finally comes to an end in 2023.

The tour — billed as his last — was originally scheduled to last three years, but has been extended due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Sir Elton was forced to postpone several dates in Dallas in January after he tested positive for COVID-19.

The Rocket Man singer became extremely unwell after he contracted a dangerous bacterial infection in 2017 while undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

He said in the documentary Elton John: Uncensored: “'I literally had to learn to walk again. I was extremely sick. Luckily I survived it. Now I am fine. But there are very few bits of me left!

“There is no hair, a pacemaker, there is no tonsils, there is no prostate, there is no appendix. I have had kidney stones. I am like the Bionic Woman. I am like Lindsay Wagner or Steve Austin. Whichever one you want to call it.”

Read more: Elton John: There are very few bits of me left

Sir Elton recently admitted he is looking forward to retirement so he can spend time with husband David Furnish, 69, and their sons Zachary, 11, and Elijah, eight.

Watch: Elton John cancelled shows after catching COVID-19 earlier this year