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Heathrow crash-landing probed
18/01/2008 14:57 - (SA)
London - Air accident investigators assisted by representatives from plane manufacturers Boeing and engine-makers Rolls-Royce were on Friday trying to find the cause of the dramatic crash-landing of a British Airways Boeing 777 at London's Heathrow airport.
The 150 passengers and crew had a near-miraculous escape as the Boeing, after a flight from Beijing, reportedly lost all power and was "glided" by the pilot into Heathrow, missing the runway by a few hundred metres.
Just 18 of the passengers, Britons, Chinese and other nationalities, suffered minor injuries as they were evacuated from the aircraft via emergency chutes at lunchtime on Thursday.
Experts said the plane would have crash-landed at a speed of 160km/h, and what happened moments before it was due to land remained a mystery.
The plane's pilot, 43-year-old Peter Burkill, was praised for his "heroism" by British newspapers on Friday, and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose plane taking him on an official visit to China was delayed by the incident on Thursday, paid tribute to the "calmness and professionalism" of the captain and crew.
As the wrecked Boeing remained in its final position across the end of the runway, disruption continued at Heathrow on Friday, with more than 50 short-haul flights cancelled by mid-morning.
Experts said finding the cause of the accident was likely to be a swift affair as the aircraft itself, the black box and the crew were available to investigators.
David King, the chief executive of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), said an initial report of what happened in the last few moments before the crash landing could be ready by the weekend. - Sapa-dpa
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