Originally Posted by
pax britanica
PIA 747-100s had a bit of history at LHR as I recall, one losing an engine depating to the east and really struggling over Heston Hounslow Acton area -Iseem to recall there was beacon at Kilburn in those days that easterly depatures to N and East passed over .
I blame the ground controller for that one! I was working in the tower that day, and the PIA was insistent upon using 10L for departure due the extra length vs the usual easterly departure runway of 10R. As the PIA got somewhere adjacent to block 16 with all wheels firmly glued to the runway the ground controller said words to the effect of "interesting if he got an engine failure now" immediately followed a lots of orange flames and burning grass! He got airbourne and "climbed" (I use the term loosely) straight ahead for many miles before getting enough speed to turn. Luckily the fire was suppressed or there would have been quite a mess over Cranford / Hounslow.