Wreckage and cockpit data from the British Airways (BA) 777 that landed short at Heathrow last week, are now being analysed by the UK”s Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB).
Both flight crew were interviewed on the evening of the event (17 January) by an AAIB operations inspector, while the flight data recorder (FDR), cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and Quick Access Recorder (QAR) have been transferred to the Branch”s laboratories at Farnborough.
The 200t BA 777 has now been painstakingly removed from runway 27L at Heathrow, although no arrivals are being permitted to use it. A BAA spokeswoman told ABTN: ”Runway 27L is at its full length for departures but is not accepting arrivals.
”There will be no alternates [Heathrow traditionally switches runway direction to alleviate noise over western London] and there is no surface damage.”
Initial observations from the AAIB analysis note that: ”At around 600ft (182m) and 2mi (3.2km) from touch down, the autothrottle demanded an increase in thrust from the two engines, but they 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.”
All 136 passengers and 16 crew escaped with only a few reported minor injuries and despite the fact that there was a major fuel leak, no fire occurred.
Pictures taken by mobile phone show the aircraft with a significant nose-high attitude shortly before contact with the boggy grass, while on landing, the right hand main landing gear detached from the wing. The left main gear was pushed up through the wing root and a major amount of fuel leaked out.
Representatives from the US National Safety Transportation Board (NTSB), assisted by the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing, are helping the investigation, while Rolls-Royce whose Trent 895 engines were on the 777, is also supporting the AAIB.
Television reports this weekend showed the captain and first officer, as well as the cabin services director, receiving a rapturous reception at BA”s Heathrow headquarters.
The AAIB says that its work will now concentrate on more detailed analysis of the FDR information and ”examining the range of aircraft systems that could influence engine operation.”