Breaking news: BA aircraft crash lands at heathrow airport.

[Joe Cygan]

Does the 777 use mechanical linkage from the throttles to the engine fuel control, or is that an electronic interface?

Something definately went wrong in that area somewhere.

No linkage its all FADEC (full authority digital engine control)

[Bob Reed]

Maybe they upgraded to Vista? Sorry could not help myself! I think the problem needs to be looked into as they could not get anything from the throttles yet it seemed the engines where running.... Will be interesting to see the investigation results.

[Geremy Britton]

i would certainly say it was something to do with avionics in the autopilot section. They were doing an ILS approach so it was in autopilot until the problem occured.

[Michael Carter]

But, they switched to manual throttle input with no responce.

I'm leaning towards an engine management computer problem. (FADEC)

I guess we'll find out soon enough.

[Westozy]

Maybe they upgraded to Vista? Sorry could not help myself! I think the problem needs to be looked into as they could not get anything from the throttles yet it seemed the engines where running.... Will be interesting to see the investigation results.

LOL, that's a good one, maybe it was a Symultry TQ!

I don't think jokes about it are out of place when everybody survived and it's basically a happy ending for everyone but the insurers. No doubt there will be more jokes as always. The landing gear going up through the wings must have absorbed a lot of the impact. Did it take out the ILS?

Gwyn

[Geremy Britton]

Or maybe the pilot got his Phigets mixed up!

[magicaldr]

Bit that scared me was the number of passengers who have had worse landings!! Most didn't realize it was a crash until the oxygen masks came down. Then again, been on the odd flight myself where the pilot seems to have flown it into the runway rather than land it.

Should have some indication from AAIB on the analysis of the flight data soon. I am sure they will work non stop on it, for the very reason that the whole aviation world is waiting.

Odd to think it going on right on my doorstep, I live right next to Farnborough where they are based.

[Geremy Britton]

The now non airworthy cockpit has now been removed from ebay after being on there 14 hours of it's scheduled 10 days. THe puzzling thing is the seller had sold 320 odd things and had 100% positive feedback -why would someone want to wreck that!!

[Westozy]

I just got this sent to me from a mate.....

Initial Report AAIB Ref: EW/C2008/01/01 Accident

Aircraft Type and Registration: Boeing 777-236, G-YMMM
No & Type of Engines: 2 Rolls-Royce RB211 Trent 895-17 turbofan engines
Year of Manufacture: 2001
Date & Time: 17 January 2008 at 1243 hrs
Location: Undershoot RWY 27L, London Heathrow Airport
Type of Flight: Commercial Air Transport (passenger)
Persons on Board: Crew - 16
Passengers - 136
Injuries: Crew - 4 (minor)
Passengers - 1 (serious)
Passengers - 8 (minor)
Nature of Damage: Substantial
Information Source: AAIB Field Investigation

Following an uneventful flight from Beijing, China, the aircraft was established on an ILS approach to Runway 27L at London Heathrow. Initially the approach progressed normally, with the Autopilot and Autothrottle engaged, until the aircraft was at a height of approximately 600 ft and 2 miles from touch down. The aircraft then descended rapidly and struck the ground, some 1,000 ft short of the paved runway surface, just inside the airfield boundary fence. The aircraft stopped on the very beginning of the paved surface of Runway 27L. During the short ground roll the right main landing gear separated from the wing and the left main landing gear was pushed up through the wing root. A significant amount of fuel leaked from the aircraft but there was no fire. An emergency evacuation via the slides was supervised by the cabin crew and all occupants left the aircraft, some receiving minor injuries.

The AAIB was notified of the accident within a few minutes and a team of Inspectors including engineers, pilots and a flight recorder specialist deployed to Heathrow. In accordance with the established international arrangements the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the USA, representing the State of Design and Manufacture of the aircraft, was informed of the event. The NTSB appointed an Accredited Representative to lead a team from the USA made up of investigators from the NTSB, the FAA and Boeing. A Boeing investigator already in the UK joined the investigation on the evening of the event, the remainder of the team arrived in the UK on Friday 18th January. Rolls-Royce, the engine manufacturer is also supporting the investigation, an investigator having joined the AAIB team.

Activity at the accident scene was coordinated with the Airport Fire and Rescue Service, the Police, the British Airports Authority and British Airways to ensure the recovery of all relevant evidence, to facilitate the removal of the aircraft and the reinstatement of airport operations.

The flight crew were interviewed on the evening of the event by an AAIB Operations Inspector and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Quick Access Recorder (QAR) were removed for replay. The CVR and FDR have been successfully downloaded at the AAIB laboratories at Farnborough and both records cover the critical final stages of the flight. The QAR was downloaded with the assistance of British Airways and the equipment manufacturer. All of the downloaded information is now the subject of detailed analysis.

Examination of the aircraft systems and engines is ongoing.

Initial indications from the interviews and Flight Recorder analyses show the flight and approach to have progressed normally until the aircraft was established on late finals for Runway 27L. At approximately 600 ft and 2 miles from touch down, the Autothrottle demanded an increase in thrust from the two engines but the engines did not respond. Following further demands for increased thrust from the Autothrottle, and subsequently the flight crew moving the throttle levers, the engines similarly failed to respond. The aircraft speed reduced and the aircraft descended onto the grass short of the paved runway surface.

The investigation is now focussed on more detailed analysis of the Flight Recorder information, collecting further recorded information from various system modules and examining the range of aircraft systems that could influence engine operation.


Gwyn

[dodiano]

It is really hard for a Modern Airliner to have a Dual Engine Failure... We where discussing this with our Chief Pilot we had a flight just the other day and our guess was that probably fuel contamination or something to do with running out of fuel like an undeteceted leak of some sort... The Pitch up was simply the plane trying to use it´s aerodynamics to glide to the Runway... You have to give it to those guys Gliding a Heavy is not going to be easy... And they didn´t manage to get to the runway but everybody survived I still think it is a complete success although authorities might not think that way! If I get the official report cause we always do I will try to post it here!

Regards,

Roberto