BA 777 lands short of runway at LHR

[MWISimmer]

This is breaking news, so excuse my innacuracies..

Sky news are reporting BA38 from Beijing has landed short of 27L, no serious injuries and no fire but the airport has been closed to all arrivals/departures due to the whole of the airports emergncy services attending the incident.
The main gear has collapsed on impact.

At  least no injuries, but it's going to take a while to clear up..

[kingmarktheaviator]

Just seen that on BBC News, the aircraft had declared an emergency before landing.  By what pictures I have seen, it looks like the wheels have dug into the soft grass before the runway and collapsed once it has hit the tarmac.  At least nobody has been killed, only 3 people with minor injuries.
Once the relief fire crews arrive, one runway will re-open.

Cheers,
Mark

[C]

BPB, see "Doh!" below... (both at 1.24pm - must've beaten you by seconds!)

BBC reported about 10 minutes ago the the northern runway was reopening, but that will still be chaos at Heathrow and the airspace above.

[mrjake2002]

Yep, just seen this. Nothing major in terms of injuries.

According to BBC it was an emergency landing, but the BBC are idiots so that could be wrong.

[mrjake2002]

Someone on the aircraft says that there was 'no problem at all' before the crash... looks like a pilot mess-up to me.

[C]

Yep, just seen this. Nothing major in terms of injuries.

According to BBC it was an emergency landing, but the BBC are idiots so that could be wrong.

They're now interviewing someone with terrible phone reception who in giving answers that mean nothing and just feed journalistic induced speculation...

Muppets...

Looking at the pictures, whoever was sat next to the left main gear leg was very very very lucky it didn't enter the cabin.

[mrjake2002]

Quite a few witnesses saying that it was banking seriously to the left... engine faliure?  

Edit: They're actually interviewing a pilot now.

[C]

Quite a few witnesses saying that it was banking seriously to the left... engine faliure?  

Shouldn't be a problem in itself. Aircraft like this are designed to be perfectly flyable on one engine even before rotation on take off.

Edit: They're actually interviewing a pilot now.

Mmm, a PPL who's probably well versed on operating a 777. Mind you, better than the other eye witnesses they've been interviewing, who have no idea...

They've just shown why you can't see the nose and right main gear. On the grass several hundred yards away...

[61_OTU]

Could have been much much worse by the looks of it, another Kegworth if it had bene just a hundred yards shorter  :(

Someone on the aircraft says that there was 'no problem at all' before the crash... looks like a pilot mess-up to me

If that's pilot error, that's one big error.........I want to hear an official version before I put the guy down, he could have just saved a hundred plus lives.

As well as that, if I was the pilot and suddenly lost power/control so close to the end of the runway then I don't necessarily think that telling the passengers would be top of my list.

Steve

[C]

Someone on the aircraft says that there was 'no problem at all' before the crash... looks like a pilot mess-up to me

If that's pilot error, that's one big error.........I want to hear an official version before I put the guy down, he could have just saved a hundred plus lives.

As well as that, if I was the pilot and suddenly lost power/control so close to the end of the runway then I don't necessarily think that telling the passengers would be top of my list.

Quite, wait and see.

[mrjake2002]

Someone on the aircraft says that there was 'no problem at all' before the crash... looks like a pilot mess-up to me

If that's pilot error, that's one big error.........I want to hear an official version before I put the guy down, he could have just saved a hundred plus lives.

As well as that, if I was the pilot and suddenly lost power/control so close to the end of the runway then I don't necessarily think that telling the passengers would be top of my list.

Quite, wait and see.

That was at the start, I've changed my mind now.  :P

[Saitek]

From reports sounds like there was a last minute loss of power. Several said that the engine was much louder than normal.  Other big clue is that it didn't take long to stop; so that was either a remarkable piece of stopping and/or there wasn't enough power to get the plane further along the runway.
I doubt it was a pilot mess up.

[C]

From reports sounds like there was a last minute loss of power. Several said that the engine was much louder than normal.  Other big clue is that it didn't take long to stop; so that was either a remarkable piece of stopping and/or there wasn't enough power to get the plane further along the runway.
I doubt it was a pilot mess up.

You might not be wrong. As for stopping - it had only one gear leg left after touchdown on muddy grass which has been being rained on for the best part of the last week, so it isn't too surprising it stopped so promptly.

[Craig.]

Considering how far back it landed from the runway, I'd say it would be tough to blame the pilots. They would have had to have been low on approach and at least one of them would have noticed.
My guess maybe windshear. I know on of the people being interviewed has said weathers not a problem at the moment, but there has been some pretty nasty wind and rain passing through the past few days and it doesn't look too clear at Heathrow, this could explain the banking and the engines being throttled up.

[C]

My guess maybe windshear. I know on of the people being interviewed has said weathers not a problem at the moment, but there has been some pretty nasty wind and rain passing through the past few days and it doesn't look too clear at Heathrow, this could explain the banking and the engines being throttled up.

It certainly could. Here the TAF for Heathrow that was valid at the time:

EGLL 171155Z 171322 21018G30KT 6000 -RADZ BKN008 BECMG 1314 25022G32KT 9999 NSW SCT025 TEMPO 1418 6000 SHRA SCT022CB PROB40 TEMPO 1418 27028G42KT 2500 +TSGR BKN010 BKN018CB