All 152 passengers and crew on board British Airways flight BA038 survived when a Boeing 777 crashed at London Heathrow in 2008. The accident became the subject of one of the most complex inquiries undertaken in the UK, and investigators acknowledged the quick actions of the crew in preventing a disaster.

Flightglobal is offering the chance to meet the commander of the aircraft, Capt Peter Burkill, at the Farnborough Air Show. He will be at the Flightglobal chalet (A25-26) on the afternoon of Tuesday 20 July where he will be signing copies of Thirty Seconds to Impact, his newly published account of the accident.

BA038 had been on final approach after arriving from Beijing when both Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engines on the 777 failed to respond to a demand for more power.

Unbeknown to Capt Burkill and co-pilot John Coward, a build-up of ice inside the fuel lines supplying the engines had been dislodged as the aircraft descended towards Heathrow. An avalanche of frozen slush blocked the fuel flow, choking off the aircraft's thrust when it was just 700ft above the ground and leaving the crew with moments to avoid a catastrophe.

Thirty Seconds to Impact is Capt Burkill's personal story of the crash of BA038, and the difficult aftermath of the accident. Copies will be available for purchase at the Flightglobal chalet on the day, and Capt Burkill will be on hand to talk about his experience. Please do drop by, we'll look forward to seeing you.

 burkill book

Related BA038 articles and links

Official investigation report into accident to flight BA038

Cracking the 777 ice puzzle

EASA mandates Rolls-Royce fix after BA 777 crash

 

Source: Flight International