Lee Bowyer has spoken out about the moment the Leeds United team was seconds away from death due to a plane blast.

In March 1998, the former midfield player, the rest of the Whites’ coaching staff, backroom personnel, and directors were returning after a Premier League match against West Ham.

One wing caught fire and the plane’s engine burst shortly after it took off from Stansted Airport.

However, by choosing to crash-land the plane back onto the runway in defiance of convention, pilot John Hackett heroically avoided catastrophe.

Thankfully, no serious injuries were sustained, and the safe landing made it possible for all 44 passengers to be safely evacuated.

‘That would’ve been it’

Bowyer has now recollected the horrifying experience, admitting that he had feared the worst after witnessing the plane’s wing catch fire in front of him.

“I remember the firemen telling us at the time that if we’d have been in the air for another 30 seconds, to a minute, the plane would have blown,” the 48-year-old stated, as reported by The Sun, when speaking at a Ladbrokes event.

The engine on my side just blew up, and I’m essentially overlooking the wing because I’m seated one seat back from the escape doors.

“When something like that occurs in the movies, the plane explodes up, doesn’t it?

I was just thinking, ‘Well, that’s it,’ as I was gazing at it. Time is running out, and it will simply blow up.

Fortunately for us, however, the pilot was amazing. He performed a fantastic job and managed to bring us back down.

When that kind of circumstance arises, you should typically continue taking off, circle around, and re-land on the runway.

However, because to the runway’s size, the pilot was able to bring the jet down without having to do any of it.

“That would have been it if he hadn’t been able to. It would have exploded.

Bowyer, who was only 21 at the time of the potentially fatal explosion, described how shaken he was by the event.

According to the former Birmingham City manager, “I’m usually laid back and don’t worry about things.” However, I had the impression from away that we weren’t completely in charge of our own lives.

“That’s it when your time is up. Though it’s depressing to consider, I’ve had that belief ever since that day.

Lasting impact

Bowyer disclosed that there were other Leeds players who would never fly again as a result of the terrifying plane explosion, including teammate David Batty.

He stated: “I wanted to get to a place like Portsmouth in an hour instead of five or six, so I was back on a plane almost immediately.”

However, I recall that some of the guys decided to drive down to games with Batty because he wouldn’t fly.

For us, flying to and from games was commonplace. Since we were up north playing for Leeds, of course, we would always go that way if we were ever playing down south.

“You also had to fly to the European games, so that was your only option.”

Bowyer had a long career at Elland Road after his near-death experience, playing a significant part in the team that advanced to the 2001 Champions League semi-finals and reaching 203 appearances.

After leaving Leeds in 2003, the one-cap former England international played in the top division for West Ham, Newcastle, and Birmingham.

Bowyer managed Charlton and Birmingham after leaving Ipswich as a football player in 2012; the former was promoted to the Championship in 2019.

“We didn’t get anything in terms of compensation, or anything like that, but to be honest, just being alive was compensation enough,” he continued in reference to the plane explosion.