Heathrow crash caused by power failure, officials say
The crash-landing of a British Airways Plc plane at London's Heathrow airport yesterday was caused by a loss of power to the engines, the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch said in its initial findings.
As the Boeing Co. 777 aircraft made its final landing approach, ``the autothrottle demanded an increase in thrust from the two engines, but the engines did not respond,'' the agency said today in an e-mailed statement. Information from the flight data and voice recorders shows that attempts by the pilots to increase power manually also failed.
The British Airways flight from Beijing came down short of Heathrow's south runway, plowing across grass and coming to rest at the edge of the tarmac with its wheels ripped off and one wing cracked. All 136 passengers and 16 crew escaped down emergency chutes, and 19 were treated for minor injuries.
The power failure occurred ``at about 600 feet and two miles from touch down,'' the U.K. agency said. ``The investigation is now focused on more detailed analysis of the flight recorder information,'' as well as examination of aircraft systems and the plane's two Trent 895 engines, manufactured by Rolls-Royce Group Plc.
A ``range of aircraft systems'' could have been responsible for the loss of engine power, the agency said. ``A significant amount of fuel leaked from the aircraft but there was no fire,'' it added. Investigators are due to deliver a more detailed preliminary report within 30 days.
Limited Runway Usage
Operations at Heathrow are returning to normal, owner BAA Ltd. said, although the affected runway remains closed to landings until investigators authorize removal of the wreckage. In-bound flights are being routed to the north runway and the south runway is being used only for take-offs.
Airlines canceled 113 Heathrow flights, or 8.7 percent of the 1,300 takeoffs and landings scheduled for today, BAA spokesman Stuart Butcher said in a telephone interview.
Rolls-Royce representatives couldn't be reached for comment, and British Airways spokeswoman Nicola Swan declined to talk about the initial findings. A spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing also declined comment. All three companies are assisting the investigation.
British Airways shares fell 1 penny, or 0.3 percent, to 292.5 pence in London before the statement was issued. The stock advanced 1.4 percent yesterday. Rolls Royce shares declined 0.3 percent in London, extending yesterday's 0.9 percent slide. Boeing's stock was down 1.2 percent at 2:07 p.m. in New York.
Pilot Credits
Pilot Peter Burkill said co-pilot John Coward, who had the controls at the time of the accident, did ``a remarkable job'' landing the plane. Burkill, speaking at a news conference before the investigative report was released, declined to talk about the cause.
Burkill credited his crew and passengers for clearing the plane quickly and limiting injuries. Travelers showed ``calmness and good sense,'' he said.
The 777, registration G-YMMM, was built in 2001 and is one of 43 in the British Airways fleet. It had logged 23,476 flying hours as of Dec. 31, 2006, according to U.K. Civil Aviation Authority data.
The last maintenance check was in December, British Airways said after the accident. Burkill is an senior pilot with almost 20 years of experience with the carrier.
A British delegation to China and India led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown was delayed for an hour by the crash. Also flying with Brown on a British Airways Boeing 747 was billionaire Richard Branson, who controls rival Virgin Atlantic Airways.
Gordon Brown
``The speed of the evacuation we saw at firsthand, the total professionalism and dedication of the staff,'' Brown told reporters on arrival in Beijing. ``It's at times like these you remember you're in the hands of staff who do a remarkable job.''
Spain's Grupo Ferrovial SA, which paid $20 billion for BAA in 2006, fell 71 cents, or 1.7 percent, to 42.30 euros in Madrid trading. The stock dropped 1.1 percent yesterday and has declined more than 30 percent since the construction company acquired the airport operator.
Some aviation experts had speculated that the plane's engines ingested a flock of Canada geese known to frequent a nearby reservoir. Others asked whether ``wind shear'' was a factor.
Conditions at Heathrow yesterday were ``pretty typical for winter,'' with good visibility and a ``gentle breeze,'' said John Hammond, a spokesman for the U.K. Meteorological Office, which is helping with the investigation.