Ba 777 Full Evacuation In Iah

[apaddyinuk]

A BA 777 made a full evac after an emergency landing in IAH last night (12 Aug) following smoke in the cabin and engine vibrations shortly after takeoff.

All passengers and crew evacuated using full slide deployment with only minor injuries.
Still need to hear further details as it doesnt seem to have hit the press in the UK yet!!!

[Kempus]

Cant find any details about this. Got friends operating on that flight, where you get the info?

[Half a Mexican]

Kempus,

Here are some links to the story:

http://www.click2houston.com/news/3644504/detail.html
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/news/081104_local_planefire.html

Cheers,
HaM

[Localiser Green]

G-VIID so GE90-85B powered....

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: GVIID Make/Model: B777 Description: B-777
Date: 08/11/2004 Time: 2155

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
City: HOUSTON State: TX Country: US

DESCRIPTION
BRITISH AIRWAYS, GVIID, B777-200 ACFT REPORTED FUMES IN THE COCKPIT AFTER
DEPARTURE, RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY
15L, LEFT ENGINE REPORTED TO BE ON FIRE, FIRE EXTINQUISHED, NO INJURIES TO
THE 133 PERSONS ON BOARD, HOUSTON, TX

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0
# Crew: 3 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 129 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

[chalfontim]

I've just come off BA294 from O'Hare which had come via Houston. Flew with 5 American guys who were on the Houston flight which had the engine fire. From their description I would say this was a pretty major incident - they could see flames from the engine, there was dense smoke in the passenger cabin, and there was an immediate evacuation down the emergency chutes upon landing. Apparently the BA crew were exemplary - handled the situation extremely well.

[lomapaseo]

I've just come off BA294 from O'Hare which had come via Houston. Flew with 5 American guys who were on the Houston flight which had the engine fire. From their description I would say this was a pretty major incident - they could see flames from the engine, there was dense smoke in the passenger cabin,

Sounds like it could have been a compressor failure where the fire stays in the tailpipe and the smoke in the cabin (from the compressor) lasts until the bleeds are closed.

[Whippersnapper]

And we all know how reliable most pax are in reporting the true details of an incident, don't we?

IF (emphasised) the engine was on fire, why wasn't it shut down and extinguished in flight, or is it that the story is misrepresentative?

Glad there were no major injuries and that all were OK. I'll wait for the official version rather than the pax/press accounts.

[Mick814]

I am a survivor of the BA2024 IAH - LGW on the 11th!!
On take off vibrations on the left engine could be clearly heard within the aircraft and the Capt imediately notified the paxs of his decision to return.
Shortly after smoke was within the cabin working from front to rear intensifying upon decent.
On clearing the runway the a/c was stopped and shut down immediately as the left engine was on fire.
Immediate evacuation followed using right shutes. One elderly pax was treated at the scene for shock the rest adjouned to the lounge for a large drink!!
Both crew on board and IAH ground staff were excellent though obviously there are learning points

[great expectations]

Mick,

As a pilot, I'm interested in what happened. When you say at the end there are learning points, are you able to expand? Few of us will see this outside the sim, I commend the crew obviously and if there's anything I can learn then I'm all ears

[Mick814]

What I say should in no way be seen as criticising the crew. We at the end of the day all lived to tell the tale!!

The areas for review / learning would be:
1. Opening of doors left
2. Crew not wearing their hi vis, other than the CSD
3. Very slow on the head count
4. Confusion by crew as to whether to move paxs down or up wind

Sorry nearly forgot a point which I feel should be of concern for you and your colleagues WHY were the crew made to look after the paxs for several hours after we were all taken to the lounge Surely they had also undergone the stress, probably more so then us as they new what was happening / could happen, and needed to relax and be properly debriefed?????

[Ignition Override]

Why evacuate on the same side/wing as an engine fire?

Did many of the other passengers who were unable to see the left engine try to slow the evacuation by grabbing personal items from the overhead or under the seats?

Many passengers have no idea how many exits are behind them-they often tend to swarm to the main cabin door up front.

Maybe we will learn whether the Captain was able to talk directly with the Rescue/Fire Commander. There is often a frequency which the pilots can use for this.

[flite idol]

Ok whats going on. I departed DFW yesterday afternoon and when switched to departure control there was a Speedbird 777 dumping fuel and returning to land at DFW. Connected/coincidence? When we switched to Fortworth centre control they were below 6000` and "ready for the approach"
Anyone know why?

[NigelOnDraft]

Nothing to do with BA or the 777, but yes, it did return in a hurry. Left after an hour or so....

NoD

[worldwidelad]

Regarding mike's review points:

Why would they evacuate on the same side as the engine fire?? especially as there was only 130 passengers?

The crew were wearing their day glo hats. BA do not issue hi vis jackets to cabin crew.

I found your comments that were not meant to be criticising the crew the complete opposite.

Although we are trained for these situations, nerves are bound to play a part if the counting wasnt carried out super efficiently.

I think you should be grateful you are alive.

[Huck]

Hats off to all involved. This is our profession at its best.

(Now, what if it had been a fully loaded A380......)

[apaddyinuk]

Mick...

i think your a typical example of someone who doesnt really appreciate what you have just gone through and I am also curious as to why saw the CSD in a Hi-vis when Iv since asked a colleague who was one of the crew if the csd had one..which he didnt...As mentioned by Worldwidelad...BA do not use hi-vis jackets unlike some airlines, it is proceedure to use the Day-glo hats.
Also, we are trained to only block an exit if there is visible reasons not to open, eg fire and smoke...If the door was opened near the engine in question then it may have been possible that the smoke wasnt considered dense enouigh to safely impede the safe evacuation of the passengers...I know I for one would not send lemmings down a chute into a burning inferno.
And try not to be so sensationalist by saying that you are one of the "SURVIVORS"!!!! That implies there were fatalities and is an insult to not only the other passengers onboard but also the crew of the aircraft that safely got you off in one piece.
I do however apologise that you had to experience this on BA but I do hope that our overall safety proceedures would be a reason why you would chose BA above other airlines again in the future.
As for why did the crew stay with the passengers...this is normal...It helps to alleviate the nerves amongst the passengers if the crew stick around and console eachother. Remember, cabin and flight crew have a duty of care and this could not be more apparent then in a situation like this and that continues even on to the aftermath.
The crew did a truly magnificent job and are a credit to Gatwick Worldwide and indeed British Airways.:ok:

[amanoffewwords]

Oxford Dictionary for "survive"

"remain alive after going through, or continue to exist in spite (a danger, accident etc)"

Sounds appropriate to me.

[NigelOnDraft]

amanoffewwords

"remain alive after going through, or continue to exist in spite (a danger, accident etc)"
Sounds appropriate to me Not to me...

Accident: Has a definition - this wasn't one.

Danger: Again, not here, I think, with 20/20 hindsight. There was smoke, a vibrating engine. The aircraft in the pictures seems 100% intact, and I do not believe damaged (apart form the initial cause of the vibration / smoke).

Whilst I think the oringal poster made the remark somewhat in jest, your trying to justify it is OTT :ooh:

NoD

[Mick814]

Ladies and Gents

I appear to have offended a few of you and for that I apologise BUT out of every incident one must take onboard areas 'for review' which can enhance our industry and of course safety - that is why this industry has such a good safety record.

Worldwidelad and apaddyinuk

Paxs were not evacuated from the left side, to my knowledge, but the doors were open. This does concern me as the fire brigade were operating on that engine and if it had blown then flames could have entered the cabin - once again not a crticism just an observation for 'review'

Hi vis means not just jackets but anything which differentiates crew from paxs - The CSD, a female called K..., was the ONLY crew wearing her hi vis HAT

Head counts are one of the most important features of such an incident and one which the emergency services require asap - if wating until all paxs are loaded onto the coaches some 30+ mins later is acceptable to you then we shall agree to disagree.

I do realise the crew had a duty of care to the paxs BUT my point was WHO WAS TAKING CARE OF THEM?

Once agin the crew DID a fantastic job and I DO appreciate this. I am alive so I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful to them lets not take offence lets just learn and go forward.

Thank you the crew of BA2024 and because of you I will always fly the flag

[NigelOnDraft]

Paxs were not evacuated from the left side, to my knowledge, but the doors were open Interesting?

What led to the PAX only being evacuated from one side? The PA from the Captain? The Cabin Crew's actions?

Were you aware, before landing, that you would be evacuating? Or did you land, come to a halt, and then suddenly end up evacuating?

Glad you appreciate that BA did well on the day. You are quite right that there are always areas to "examine" and "learn from" for the future. That does not mean the actions on the day in question were "wrong", or people are being "criticised".

NoD

[BlueUpGood]

Hi All,

Take my word for it, BA procedures were followed throughout through all phases of the event. Doors open on the left are quite appropriate for the factual circumstances.

Hi vis apparel is frankly a red herring on a bright summer afternoon.

The crew attended to the pax for several hours after because they are professionals. They left when the job was finished.

Regards,

BlueUpGood

[broadreach]

worldwidelad and paddyinuk,

Both your postings sound needlessly defensive and, with respect, automatically dismissive of intelligent observations by someone who was there but on the other side of the fence, as it were.

If Mick's comments had sounded like an arrogant "this is the way it should have been done" it might be reasonable to jump down his throat. But they don't.

[flite idol]

Very well NOD, are you at liberty to say what it was to do with?

[NigelOnDraft]

A Medical Emergency was declared, and when the aircraft left again, it was 1 PAX less... Hope that helps ;)

NoD

[flystarboy]

Erm........ NoD the aircraft did not leave again with one pax less..... it is still there with its sister ship G-VIIG. And I DO know that as I have just operated in from IAH earlier today.

[flite idol]

Cheers NOD. Good job by the crew!

Flystarboy, we are talking about the DFW-LGW flight, sorry for the confusion!

[Jet II]

Now BA have two 777's stuck in IAH it looks like LGW will be 'borrowing' a 777 from LHR to make-up the holes in the Program.

Not a good week for BA in the states - what with the cancellations due to the Hurricane - perhaps next week will be better.:D

[gliding777]

G-VIID (the 777 which returned to IAH with the emergency) has now had a new left engine fitted, and will be positioned back to LGW, empty, in the next couple of days. Unsure whether the new engine is a spare BA one, or a brand new component delivered from GE.

Cheers

[normal_nigel]

PPrune at its best again.

Rumour pomposity and know alls and usually ignoring (blinkered) the one or two posts that are obviously well informed.

Glad to see the traditions are alive and well.

NN

[BRISTOLRE]

Coincidental that a Polet An124 was chartered to fly IAH-CWL earlier this week? Anyone know what the freight was?
CWL doesnt see many 124s???

[GOLDEN LION]

A knackered GE engine at a guess ????

[SLF3]

I was also a passenger on this flight. How serious the incident was depends on where you were sitting. If you were on the right hand side of the plane facing backwards (and thus unable to see the engine or the smoke moving down the cabin from the front) it was a non event. If you were on the left side, able to see the engine and the smoke it must have been much more exciting.

BA, at all levels, were superb. The crew staying in the lounge and chattingwith the passengers after the event was much appreciated. I don't think they had to, they just felt it was the right thing to do. Both the pilots and BA management were very open as to what happened and the logic of how they responded.

As to the lessons learnt, many of the passengers were from the oil industry, where near miss reporting and post incident analysis of how to do better is a way of life. As one of the BA managers commented, 'we practice this every six months, but it happens so rarely for real that we would appreciate any comments you have on how we did'. I think BA did as well as anybody could reasonably have done on the day, but I also think they are big enough to learn any lessons that are there to be learnt. For me the head count was a non issue, because they went throughthe plane before they dsembarked - they knew everyone was out. I also have some comments, and I'll give them to BA direct. But overall, I rate BA more highly now than I did before this incident.

[PKM]

I was a passenger on BA flight 2024 which was evacuated at IAH. I have been trying since I returned home to Texas to get info on the cause of this fire. I have called and e-mailed the NTSB and they keep telling me the preliminary report is not yet available. Can anyone tell me, please, how long this process normally takes? Or is there any inside info on what happened?

Here's the way I remember it: I was sitting in coach very near the rear of the plane. I heard the noise coming from the engine but tried to ignore it. The captain announced to us, very calmly, that they were talking to ground control. I knew this meant we were going back, and for about 30 seconds I was annoyed at the delay, until I started to smell the smoke. I knew then that the problem was serious and I just wanted to get on the ground alive. The plane made a sharp turn and the captain continued to speak to us calmly, reassuring us we would be landing soon. The smoke was getting really thick and was making me feel queasy. The captain apologized for the smoke and recommend putting your head down between the knees to avoid breathing smoke. I am asthmatic, so the smoke bothered me more than in would most people. I kept my head down until I felt the plane touch down. The captain had given us no indication in the air that there would be an emergency evac, and this is probably best because it might have caused panic. Once the plane stopped, he said something like, "As most of you have figured out, this is an emergency situation, EVACUATE, EVACUATE, EVACUATE!!" The FA's opened all of the exit doors, then one FA said on the loudspeaker, "Right side only, right side only," because the firemen were still putting out the fire on the left side of the plane.

We all jumped onto the chutes and ran to the adjacent runway. Many of the crew came over to comfort those of us who were upset, and the captain even gave me a hug. We stood there for some time until the buses came to take us back to the airport, then we were ushered into a lounge with free food and bar drinks. Most of the crew members were in the lounge with us and were still offering comfort to those who needed it. They also gave us free calling cards in case we needed to talk to someone from home.

I have been a flying to Europe with BA for many years. Before this incident, I liked BA for the most part, although I am not happy with the changes they have made to the Executive Club recently. However, after this incident, I will never have an unkind word to say about BA for the rest of my life. Their handling of this situation was superb beyond words, and I cannot say enough about the newfound respect I have for BA. They showed genuine concern for our safety, and really cared about the emotional distress this caused. If anyone working for BA is reading this, please give yourself a big pat on the back and show this message to anyone you think will be interested.

Once again, any info on the cause of this fire would be greatly appreciated.

[Human Factor]

PKM,

Keep an eye out on the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) website HERE (http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=9482&l=3). A preliminary report will appear in due course.

[BUMPFF]

Re Mick814's comment #4:

In a former life I was an SEP instructor. Getting crew members to understand the difference between (and importance of) upwind and downwind was a major problem.

A well-done to the BA crew involved in this incident.

[In trim]

I know one of the crew members on this....whilst I suspect they were shaken by the event, I know the primary concern was for the passengers. As all the previous dialogue confirms, the crew did an excellent job on the day....not just in getting it down safely, but in managing the passenger welfare element at the same time.

Well done to all.

[PKM]

In trim, you said you know a crew member from that flight. Would you kindly print out my post and send it to them? I spoke with most crew members that day to commend them personally, but just in case I missed your friend, please show them my post and send my regards. Thanks very much.

[Aerostar6]

PKM, I'm sure one of our 777 drivers out there can give you chapter and verse, but our in house magazine published pics of a broken HP turbine blade which caused the whole problem. The engine obviously then went out of balance, giving a vibration warning (not fire warning) on the flight deck. The crew throttled the engine back as required by the checklist but then became aware of the smoke, hence the hasty return.

The smoke was caused by engine oil being released into the conditioning ducts by damaged oil seals.

[PKM]

Aerostar6, thank you so very much for that information. I'm glad to know the cause of this incident. I am not a person with a background in aviation, as are most of you on this board, so I have often wondered just how much danger we were in. I know this type of incident is rare, but when it does happen, is this something that usually turns out OK, or have I used up 8 of my 9 lives?

One other question for the experts, please. We did not do a fuel dump and I have heard that an overweight landing can be a very dangerous situation. Can anyone tell me what are the risks involved with an overweight landing of a 777?

Thanks.

[Sick Squid]

Overweight landings do not pose much of a risk to passengers or crew.. an aircraft is certified to carry out (I precis here, so techies don't slam me for the figures not being spot on or given in feet-per-second) a landing at max take-off weight with a normal flare, and at max landing weight with effectively no flare, or only a marginal flare. There would be a structural inspection required following an overweight landing, which is one of the considerations a Captain has when faced with the choice; if the aircraft is on fire, then the choice is simple. Fuel dump is a luxury of time; if your crew are dumping fuel, then the imminent danger has passed... generally.

There can be a difference of many tonnes between max takeoff weight and max landing weight. Believe me, with a fire on board that wasn't going out, you would have a firm, overweight landing carried out within minutes, maximum braking (which would REALLY surprise you!) a nice trip down the slides encouraged by cabin crew who had changed personality so much you were blasted out of your stunned deer-in-the-headlights torpor and were out of the aircraft before you really knew what was going on, and then you could start worrying about the overweight portion of the problem from the grass at the side of the runway. As you know :)

Always plan the escape route. It isn't found on the letters page of The Times, unlike most business passengers seem to think.

[Kempus]

well said, the amount of IAH flights i do is unbelievable and business class px that think they know otherwise is scary! With a background in aircraft engineering and a reasponsability as cabin crew as well as having some good friends on that flight i think those anti ba folk out there should not slag but offer praise for our industry and the regulations thats are set ant taught to each and everyone of us no matter which airline!

(no spelling check cos just in from good night out wi some fine women but still no luck!)

kempus

[In trim]

PKM - Have passed on your comments.

Best regards

In trim

[PKM]

I would sincerely like to thank everyone for this information. Having answers to these questions has put my mind at ease and gives me a sense of closure.

As frightening as this incident was, I never doubted that I would continue flying, as I love travelling the world. I have already booked a trip to the UK for next spring, flying BA of course, from Houston. I can't wait get there and to drive around the lovely British countryside. I will be there in late May/early June, so watch out for me. I'll be the one that keeps forgetting to stay on the left. :-)

You all have been great, thanks again!!

Kind regards to all,

PKM

[FullWings]

PKM,

I printed out your story and gave it to the SEP (Safety Equipment & Procedures) instructors at the BA training school. They were very appreciative of the feedback and said they will make people aware of it.

[PKM]

Thanks for doing that, Full Wings. :-)

[cringe]

In the meantime, the broken blade has been traced back to the production line - apparently it was of the wrong type(material?):

Madisonville GE plant's mistake linked to jet fire (http://www.courierjournal.com/localnews/2004/12/13ky/A1-ge1213-5488.html)

[PKM]

Thank you cringe, very interesting article. I will continue to follow this situation, and I appreciate your assistance.