Forum Topic

plane crash at Heathrow

have a look at News 24 now!!!!

mike jefferies ● 6401d11 Comments

"It's on days like these there should have been a 3rd runway, enabling landings and take-offs to continue almost without delays when one runway is closed. I was in Madrid this week, they (Barajas) have 4 runways. Same with CDG in Paris."Quite frankly  "on days like these"  i.e. crash days or flood days or heavy snow days I don't think any reasonable person would expect anything other than a little disruption and, like a contributor on another thread,  I don't feel terribly sympathetic to the "serious hardship or suffering of passengers" caused on rare occasions such as this.  A  3rd runway at Heathrow would cause  hardship and serious suffering to tens of thousands of residents in west London on a DAILY basis..

Steve Taylor ● 6399d

I think you mean the Thames Estuary Conal. Thames Gateway is the place that the Government has decided to build a huge new community on a potential flood plain.Hardly the place for an Airport.In debates about Heathrow, this idea of an Airport in the Estuary area comes up regularly. London Maplin was rejected many years ago partly it was pointed out that the area had too many days of poor visibility. Although low visibility landing aids have improved since then it would still mean that many less flights could land at the frequency rate that was needed under clear conditions.The other point was that as Maplin is nearly twice the distance from London, a high speed rain link would be needed, which wasn't considered to be desirable by residents in Essex along the proposed route. It was said at the time that the Airport might have been completed, but remained virtually isolated by the lack of a rail link. held up by permanent 'nimby' debates/

Colin Vaughan ● 6399d

"I think he may have flown over Hounslow normally and lost power as he passed the Trading Estate."Correction:  As Tim says, the AAIB say the problem actually started at 600 ft above ground and 2 miles from the runway. I guess there must have been some thrust from the engines, so thankfully the descent was more gradual than if all power had been lost.2 miles from the runway is over western Hounslow, south of Hounslow West station and north of Hounslow Heath.

Richard Jennings ● 6399d

http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/latest_news/accident__heathrow_17_january_2008___initial_report.cfmInitial 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.andA significant amount of fuel leaked from the aircraft but there was no fire.

Tim Henderson ● 6399d

Thanks for your observations Richard.  What a sight you must have seen when taking those pictures.One of my chums, who works at the Airport, saw the crash site 5am today with floodlights and personnel milling around.He reported that the damaged aircraft is surrounded by all kinds of investigators..even Rolls Royce officials and Boeing staff. Amongst lots of others Royal Air Force personnel are measuring the skid marks in the grass..in relation to the line of the runway. No stone will be left unturned I'm sure.Apparently, he said, some 5 tons of fuel was dumped by the gliding airliner on the grass approach!  Having just missed the perimeter fencing..the aircraft must have just missed the runway's guiding approach lights as well.A disaster was somehow avoided.. thank goodness.

Jim Lawes ● 6399d

"I wonder at what height the Captain found his aircraft to be lacking control..thus necessitating the Mayday call.  5000 feet?  or lower."Did you add an extra 0 by mistake, Jim?  Planes are at 5000 feet before they join the approach over Docklands/Lewisham.  I get the impression that it was only seconds from landing that the pilot realised that they were lower than they should be and lacked power to correct the situation.  Probably 200 to 400 feet up."Does that mean he just glided the aircraft over the Hounslow area.....and only just managed to get over the North Feltham Trading Estate."Again this is just an impression from various reports and speculation, but I think he may have flown over Hounslow normally and lost power as he passed the Trading Estate."Did he slide onto in the grass in front of the runway ahead..for a softer impact?"It seems he only just managed to clear the boundary fence.  After that gravity did its job and the plane fell rather than slid on to the grass, with the pilot powerless (literally!) to do any more.We'll see if WebTrak shows anything unusual tomorrow.  I suspect that the interesting stuff happened below the level that WebTrak cuts off, normally around 400 feet. It was quite a shock to see how close the plane appeared to be to the houses in Myrtle Avenue, Bedfont, though in reality it was about 450 metres away. (Photo taken yesterday afternoon)

Richard Jennings ● 6400d

I wonder at what height the Captain found his aircraft to be lacking control..thus necessitating the Mayday call.  5000 feet?  or lower.Does that mean he just glided the aircraft over the Hounslow area.....and only just managed to get over the North Feltham Trading Estate.Did he slide onto in the grass in front of the runway ahead..for a softer impact?  The pilot sounds like a hero of the first order!

Jim Lawes ● 6400d

Far to late to relocte Heahrow now. I really do think its time for a proper 3rd runway. When it opened a small 3rd runway was incorporated into the design. It was for cross wind landings.When the proposals for Heathrow were put forward in the 1940's the first plans had an airport with 6 runaways in the design.They should have gone with that as at that time the area around the airport was still relativly rural.

Neil Chippendale ● 6400d

On the contrary, it's on days like this that you realise why a third runway would be a total disaster. Reports suggest the plane suffered a total power loss on its final approach. As I walk down Hounslow High Street, with Hounslow Manor School close by and St Mark's just up the glide path, planes on their final approach to Heathrow pass right overhead. I'll say no more!

Sue Thornton ● 6400d

It's on days like these there should have been a 3rd runway, enabling landings and take-offs to continue almost without delays when one runway is closed. I was in Madrid this week, they (Barajas) have 4 runways. Same with CDG in Paris.

Jorgen Molna ● 6400d

It could have been so much worse.  Suppose it had come down in the midst of Hounslow town centre.I really don't get why we have to have the nation's biggest airport in the west of London.  Surely it would have made more sense to scale Heathrow down to a charter flight airport half the size it is now and build a new international airport in the Thames Gateway where planes just won't be flying over one of the most densely populated places in Europe.

Conal Stewart ● 6400d

BA flight from Beijing landed short of the runway.  Thankfully just three people treated for minor injuries.

Phil Andrews ● 6400d