British Airways Flight 268 was a regularly scheduled flight from

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. On February 20, 2005, the innermost left engine burst into flames triggered by an engine

compressor stall A compressor stall is a local disruption of the airflow in the compressor of a gas turbine or turbocharger. A stall that results in the complete disruption of the airflow through the compressor is referred to as a compressor surge. The severity of ...

almost immediately after takeoff. The Boeing 747-400 continued to fly across the

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, and the

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with its three remaining engines despite air traffic controllers expecting the pilots to perform the emergency landing at the airport. The flight then made an emergency landing at Manchester Airport, citing insufficient usable fuel to reach London Heathrow.

Flight incident

The flight took off at about 9:24 p.m. on 20 February 2005. When the aircraft, a four-engine Boeing 747-436, was around into the air, flames burst out of its number 2 engine, a result of engine surge. The pilots shut the engine down.

Air traffic control Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airs ...

expected the plane to return to the airport and deleted its flight plan. However, after consulting with the airline dispatcher, the pilots decided to set off on their flight plan "and get as far as we can" rather than dump 70 tonnes of fuel and land. The 747 is certified to fly on three engines. Having reached the East Coast, the assessment was that the plane could continue safely. The cross-Atlantic journey encountered less favourable conditions than predicted. Upon reaching the UK, believing there to be insufficient

usable fuel In aviation, usable fuel is the fuel on board an aircraft that can actually be used by its engines. The opposite of usable fuel is unusable fuel.Websters dictionary oUnusable fuel visited 19 March, 2012 The unusable fuel figure is calculated for an ...

to reach their destination, the captain declared an emergency and landed at Manchester Airport.

Controversy

A safety controversy ensued; the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

(FAA) accused the carrier of flying an "unairworthy" plane across the

. The FAA proposed fining the carrier,

British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...

(BA) $25,000. BA lodged an appeal on the grounds that they were flying according to United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules (which are derived from

International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...

standards). In the end, the FAA told BA it was dropping the case based on assurances that airline changes will "preclude the type of extended operation that was the subject of this enforcement action." BA said they had not changed their procedures and according to ''

Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's old ...

'' the FAA said that they "will recognise the CAA's determination that the aircraft was not unairworthy".

Investigation

The investigation report recommended that BA revise its training of crews in three-engine operation fuel management procedures. During the investigation, the

Air Accidents Investigation Branch The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigates civil aircraft accidents and serious incidents within the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and crown dependencies. It is also the Space Accident Investigation Authority (SAIA ...

discovered that one of the eight tracks on the Flight Data Recording tape had been erased during flight as a result of a short circuit in the unit, resulting in the loss of over three hours of data. It recommended that the FAA should require Honeywell, the manufacturer of the flight data recorder, to include a visual inspection of the printed circuit board during routine maintenance of the FDR.

Aftermath

The aeroplane involved in the incident, registered as G-BNLG, was repaired and the aircraft remained in service until December 2014.

References

External links

''ABC News'' Report

Official AAIB report
{{International Airlines Group Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 2005 Accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 747

268 __NOTOC__ Year 268 ( CCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Paternus and Egnatius (or, less frequently, year 1021 ...

Airliner accidents and incidents caused by in-flight fires Aviation accidents and incidents in England Airliner accidents and incidents in California 2005 in California 2005 in England February 2005 events in Europe Airliner accidents and incidents caused by engine failure