Incident at Heathrow
 

News on the BBC about an incident that's closed 2 runways at Heathrow, hope everyone's ok.

BBC News channel reporting fire on board BA aircraft, all evacuated safely.

Confirm that I seen aircraft fly overhead 5 miles out over Hounslow with a trail of smoke from what appear to be port engine. I was out of normal for the vapour in the air today , and that what took our attention.

Short piece on BBC breakfast
BA say one of their aircraft evacuated on north runway no casualties but both runways closed

As all the fire service react to the incident on the North Runway it can and seems to have meant that there is no RFF cover for the other runway and hence it closes devoting all resources to the incident,

I'm sat on a MAN bound 321. Driver says at least an hours delay for us. Some pax already getting off.

Sky News reporting fire incident in port engine. Slides deployed.

Edit - - - But Sky are now showing a video with the starboard engine smoking while on approach.

Sky News saying that it involves a BAW aircraft, both runways closed currently.

I also like how Sky News are saying that this is not terror-related

Thank Goodness all pax and staff evacuated safely! Sounds to me like a 'normal' emergency i.e a/c landed safely, all evacuated safely so nothing more to say really I feel

Full Qudos to all emergency personnel for a job very well done and not forgetting the flight deck for a remarkable job getting the thing on the ground! Video on Sky News showing an amateur footage clearly showing the no2/right hand engine trailing smoke.

Well done to all involved

Sky confirming an A-319, slides deployed and pax evacuated. Witness saw it fly overhead, he heard the sound of an explosion and saw the right engine on fire. Video shows plane overhead, starboard engine trailing smoke. Possible arr from Oslo.

Looking at FR24 BAW762 departed, got as far as the LAM area and diverted back in.

Well done
 

Well done to all those crew/ATC/emergency services involved! That's why we train for these situations. Take it in your stride! Just another day in the office!

the Oslo morning flight came in with an A320 G-EUUY

Some reports suggesting may have hit a flock of birds.

I'm west of LHR & planes now flying over so must be re-opened.

From an unofficial source, heard it was a birdstrike......

As already mentioned above, it was the departing Oslo flight, BAW762, which returned to LHR. :ugh:

A319 G-EUOE.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/image...014_de27-1.jpg

This is from the BBC

Reports suggesting that the left engine was shut down, then the right engine went on fire...

Fair dues to the pilots on board for getting it down safely... :D

27L reopened, currently single-runway operations for obvious reasons.

Aaaah - Airbus - that lovely all embracing ECAM etc

Passenger tweeting as @TBoneGallagher has a photo of interest:

'So this was our left engine before the right one blew our BA 762. All ok. pic.twitter.com/vLa7kwj31X'

Very complimentary to BA in other tweets.

And, unsurprisingly, some inbounds are starting to divert - EI030 from Belfast into Gatwick and BA1491 from GLA looks like it's bound for Bournemouth.

Manston has 2 x BA Airbus so far.. more are negotiating

Sky TV footage shows the Airbus on approach over the Thames with smoke or fuel vapor in trail, no sign of flames.

That tweet photo (if accurate) suggests the left engine fan cowl has departed, but reports say the right engine had the failure.
Some twitching going on back at base today.

Very interesting tweet linked above. Reports of the right engine with the smoke/fuel/vapour trail, yet the twitter picture and subsequent TV footage shows the left engine with missing panels? I'd certainly be interested to know what's happened here.

what is the big deal???
 

a couple of trustable security guards to monitor the aircraft, (that might be the delay!) and tow the aircraft off the runway! silly delay!

From what the pax (and their pictures) seem to be saying, the crew shut down the left engine first and then had a problem with the right engine later. As a lowly PPL, I cannot imagine the workload and CDM required to deal with this situation. I guess that is why I fly BA whenever I can.

Sky footage
 

The footage from Sky news shows the fire crews attending the left engine, not sure why the right engine was smoking on the approach, maybe a fair amount of power being applied while it was being filmed?

Not a happy day out. Bloody well done to the crew.

Twitter pic shows damage to the left, BBC TV coverage (on the rwy at LHR) certainly shows that the right was not that happy either.

JL:}

Left engine badly damaged, right engine on fire.

Photo on post 34;

LHR Closed? - Page 3 - FlyerTalk Forums

Interesting picture here https://twitter.com/TBoneGallagher/s...206593/photo/1

Engine 1 damaged + engine 2 fire is certainly a bad combination for ECAM.

Aircraft is also positioned perfectly into the wind, as required with an engine fire to ensure any flames are blown to the rear.

Very well done to the crew

Nearly another Sully
 

Watching the news, Video shows right engine trailing smoke, but left engine cowling forward of the reversers is definitely missing! Looks like the boys shut down number one and then had a fire in number two.........Ground witnesses now confirming that flames from number 2...


And now looking at picture of number one engine taken from inside the cabin in flight with cowlings missing and damaged....

that tweeted picture clearly shows that the left hand cowling has completely vanished. What is interesting which the report to follow will answer is that video footage clearly shows the right engine trailing smoke. Far to early to speculate here exactly what happened. But a dual engine failiure? Very Bizzare! But Sky Reporter claims it is a 'Boeing A319'!

Love it when they get their facts right ;-)

BBC now showing film from helicopter - cowlings on both the A319's engines are missing. Hmmm.

Plane 'On Fire' Flying Over Central London

Sky News has footage of the plane on approach. Definitely a trail of something from the starboard engine.

Wonder if the aircraft had just been wheeled out of the hangar after maintenance......

The clips that secure the cowlings are on the underside of the engine(s) and not easy to see unless you crouch down & look. Was this first flight of the day?

Well done to all involved, incl those on the ground. Professional as ever.

BTW What's with this 'only BA' sentiment... There's plenty of professional airlines + crew out there.

Shurley that could conceivably account for one cowling missing. But not both?