AN official report has been released following an emergency involving a plane at Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA).

The incident happened on the evening of October 9, 2022, when smoke was smelled in the Eastern Airways aircraft after it landed at the Yeadon airport. 

There were four crew members and 41 passengers on the plane. 

The Leeds United squad was reportedly on board.

All passengers and cabin crew disembarked on to the runway, and no damage or injuries were reported. 

According to a report released by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), the source of the smell of smoke was identified as a static inverter failure. A static inverter is a type of electrical device.

The AAIB said a report published by the aircraft manufacturer - which did not "require mandatory operator action" - highlighted that the inverter in question was affected by "high failure rates and should be modified through replacement".

But this had not been seen by the operator prior to the incident, according to the AAIB. 

The operator "updated maintenance and operational procedures" following the emergency, the report added.

The AAIB report said: "After landing, the crew smelled smoke on the flight deck.

"The aircraft was brought to a stop on the runway and the commander ordered a rapid disembarkation.

"The operator identified the source of the smell as a static inverter failure."

In its conclusion, the AAIB said: "There was a Technical Progress Status report published by the manufacturer and an associated Airworthiness Operator Message indicating previous failures of static inverters which were not seen by the operator before the event.

"The operator introduced new procedures to ensure future Airworthiness Operator Message's will be treated as safety bulletins."

The Telegraph & Argus asked Eastern Airways if it wanted to comment but had not received a response by the time of publication. 

The then-Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch and his Whites side were returning from London after a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace when the incident took place.

Several other flights were reportedly instructed to circle the air terminal while the issue was dealt with before the runway was cleared and the emergency declared at an end.

At the time, a spokesperson for LBA said: "Precautionary emergency procedures were followed at LBA, however nobody was harmed in the incident and the flight landed safely.

"Normal services at LBA resumed quickly."