British Airways Flight 38

British Airways Flight 38
G-YMMM after the crash at London Heathrow Airport.
Accident
Date17 January 2008 (2008-01-17)
SummaryFuel starvation caused by ice in the fuel/oil heat exchangers, crashed short of runway
SiteLondon Heathrow Airport, England, United Kingdom
51°27′54″N 0°25′54″W / 51.46500°N 0.43167°W / 51.46500; -0.43167
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 777-236ER
OperatorBritish Airways
IATA flight No.BA38
ICAO flight No.BAW38
Call signSPEEDBIRD 38
RegistrationG-YMMM
Flight originBeijing Capital International Airport, China
DestinationLondon Heathrow Airport, England, United Kingdom
Occupants152
Passengers136
Crew16
Fatalities0
Injuries47 (1 serious)
Survivors152

British Airways Flight 38 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, China, to London Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom, an 8,100-kilometre (4,400 nmi; 5,000 mi) trip. On 17 January 2008, the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft operating the flight crashed just short of the runway while landing at Heathrow.[1][2][3] No fatalities occurred; of the 152 people on board, 47 sustained injuries, one serious.[4] It was the first time in the aircraft type's history that a Boeing 777 was declared a hull loss, and subsequently written off.[5][6]

G-YMMM, the aircraft involved, seen in May 2007

The accident was investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and a final report was issued in 2010. Ice crystals in the jet fuel were blamed as the cause of the accident, clogging the fuel/oil heat exchanger (FOHE) of each engine. This restricted fuel flow to the engines when thrust was demanded during the final approach to Heathrow.[7] The AAIB identified this rare problem as specific to Rolls-Royce Trent 800 engine FOHEs. Rolls-Royce developed a modification to the FOHE; the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandated all affected aircraft to be fitted with the modification before 1 January 2011.[4][8] The US Federal Aviation Administration noted a similar incident occurring on an Airbus A330 fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines and ordered an airworthiness directive to be issued, mandating the redesign of the FOHE in Rolls-Royce Trent 500, 700, and 800 engines.[9]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference AAIB4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Henry, Emma; Britten, Nick (17 January 2008). "Heathrow plane crash pilot 'lost all power'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 22 April 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AAIBFinal was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Profile: Boeing 777". BBC News. 17 January 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
  6. ^ "Accident to Boeing 777-236, G-YMMM at London Heathrow Airport on 17 January 2008 – Initial Report Update". Air Accidents Investigation Branch. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  7. ^ "Safety Recommendation A-09-17 and −18" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. 11 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 October 2011.
  8. ^ Croft, John. "Boeing links Heathrow, Atlanta Trent 895 engine rollbacks". Flight Global. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  9. ^ "Airworthiness Directives; Rolls-Royce plc RB211-Trent 500, 700, and 800 Series Turbofan Engines" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2015.