PM plane in near miss at Paris

A plane carrying Prime Minister François Fillon was forced to take evasive action to avoid a small private plane that had strayed into its flight path, officials in his office said Monday.

Fillon's Falcon 900 business jet had begun its approach to Villacoublay air base outside Paris on Sunday when it came upon a privately-owned single engine Cessna heading in the opposite direction, an airport official said.

Staff in the prime minister's office confirmed that passengers on board the government plane had felt a sudden acceleration as the crew engaged emergency procedures, but said no one was hurt in the incident.

The planes passed within 60 metres of one another, the airport official said.

Photo: A Dassault Falcon 900EX takes off