Sunday Times,UK
February 10, 2008
Crash blamed on ice blockage
Steven Swinford and Paul Eddy
INVESTIGATORS believe the crash-landing of a British Airways Boeing 777 at Heathrow last month may have been caused by ice clogging its fuel supply, according to a leaked memo to US regulators.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is examining whether water leaked into fuel tanks and froze on the 10½hour flight from Beijing.
The discovery, if borne out by laboratory tests, may force airports and airlines to review safeguards and checks on fuel before long-haul flights, when planes on some routes are exposed to temperatures as low as -75C. Pilots say, however, that heating systems and friction from air passing over the wings should keep the fuel warm.
The BA jet landed 1,000ft short of the runway after both engines failed. There were no obvious computer malfunctions or problems with the engines, and tests on fuel recovered from the jet and other planes that refuelled in Beijing in the same period show that it met specifications.
Boeing said: “The 777 has been in service for 12 years and has flown around 3.6m flight hours, during which there have been no fatalities. It would be inappropriate to comment at this stage.”