The woman, a 63-year-old Greek, was taken to Hillingdon Hospital, in Uxbridge for treatment.

The plane in which she was a passenger landed at Heathrow so she could be properly treated.

In total, three female passengers and two stewardesses were taken off the Olympic Airways Boeing 747, en route between Athens and Montreal.

A hospital spokesman, Mark Purcell, said: "The two air crew are being treated for head and neck injuries.

"The lady with the broken legs is stable and comfortable."

Another woman has been kept in overnight for observation, he added.

A spokeswoman for Heathrow said the plane landed at 3pm on Saturday so the injured could be treated.

Some three-and-a-half hours later it continued its journey.