Airlander 10: World's Longest Aircraft Rips Apart, Collapses At UK Airfield

The world's longest aircraft, dubbed the Airlander 10, had broken in two at a Cardington airfield in Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. One person was injured and the incident is being investigated, according to reports.

The Airlander 10, appeared to "break in two," an eyewitness told the BBC Saturday. Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd, who owns the aircraft, stated that automatic safety mechanism that breaks open the hull and deflates the Airlander initiated when it broke free of its mooring.

"It was tied down slightly further away from the hangers than normal, then almost like a big gust of wind, it split. Made a hell of a noise," an eyewitness told The Sun.

Hybrid Air Vehicles released a statement regarding the incident.

"The aircraft is now deflated and secure on the edge of the airfield. The fuel and helium inside the Airlander have been made safe", the statement read. "We are testing a brand new type of aircraft and incidents of this nature can occur during this phase of development.

The aircraft was not in flight, nor was it scheduled to fly during the incident, Hybrid Air Vehicles said. Two ground crew members suffered minors injuries. A female employee sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital as a "precaution" and later released. The company said it started an investigation into why the safety mechanism went off.

"We will assess the cause of the incident and the extent of repairs needed to the aircraft in the next few weeks," the statement said.

The Airlander 10, nicknamed the "Flying Bum" was initially developed in the United States for surveillance purposes. The half-plane, half-airship, is the length of a football field and can travel up to speeds of 92 mph. Besides surveillance, Hybrid Air Vehicles said the aircraft can be used for communications and delivering aid.

The aircraft first crashed in August 2016 when its mooring became entangled in nearby power cables, which caused damage to its front deck.