747 lowish over Wimbledon
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German "Bild" Zeitung (equivalent "Sun") saying:
London- Wegen eines wackelnden Griffs an einer Kabinentür ist ein Passagierflugzeug kurz nach dem Start am Samstag auf dem Flughafen Heathrow notgelandet. Die Boeing 747 mit 296 Reisenden an Bord war auf dem Weg nach New York und kehrte vorsichtshalber nach London zurück, wie die betroffene Fluggesellschaft British Airways mitteilte. Die Kabinentür sei zu keinem Zeitpunkt geöffnet gewesen, betonte BA. Die Maschine konnte sicher landen, die Passagiere wurden in ein anderes Flugzeug gesetzt.
The translation is: there was a door handle loose.
London- Wegen eines wackelnden Griffs an einer Kabinentür ist ein Passagierflugzeug kurz nach dem Start am Samstag auf dem Flughafen Heathrow notgelandet. Die Boeing 747 mit 296 Reisenden an Bord war auf dem Weg nach New York und kehrte vorsichtshalber nach London zurück, wie die betroffene Fluggesellschaft British Airways mitteilte. Die Kabinentür sei zu keinem Zeitpunkt geöffnet gewesen, betonte BA. Die Maschine konnte sicher landen, die Passagiere wurden in ein anderes Flugzeug gesetzt.
The translation is: there was a door handle loose.
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BA117 Emergency Landing at Heathrow
BA 747 outbound for NY in emergency landing at Heathrow - see:
BBC News - BA flight to New York in emergency landing at Heathrow
BBC News - BA flight to New York in emergency landing at Heathrow
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Don't quite a lot of aeroplanes get 'lowish' over West London? In the jargon it's known at 'final approach', and comes just before 'landing'.
It was so unusually low that SWMBO ( non airline person) phoned me to report that there was something amiss with an aircraft that had just passed over home.
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Firestorm
Of course they fly over W London on approach but this was over Wimbledon (WSW) at 1500'. That almost never happens, since even a tight approach to 7.5 miles base turn will have the a/c around 1000' higher.
Suffice to say I'm an LHR based pilot and it was odd enough for me to start the thread...Having said that, hardly an emergency.
Of course they fly over W London on approach but this was over Wimbledon (WSW) at 1500'. That almost never happens, since even a tight approach to 7.5 miles base turn will have the a/c around 1000' higher.
Suffice to say I'm an LHR based pilot and it was odd enough for me to start the thread...Having said that, hardly an emergency.
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News Of The World
I can't believe this 
Todays News of the World 'newspaper' .
Horror on board flight BA117
Jet's emergency landing after door lock fails
</IMG> SO LOW: Stricken jet and the door over London yesterday
By Dominic Herbert & Stephen Moyes, 03/10/2010
THIS packed Heathrow jumbo jet was at the centre of a terrifying mid-air scare yesterday after a door failed to shut properly on take-off.
Passengers and cabin crew battled to hang on to the handle of the the rear door at 1,500 feet above London.
The pilot aborted the flight and swung the plane round for an emergency landing, flying low over hundreds of homes.
Fears of a full-scale disaster increased when flames were seen belching from the New York-bound aircraft's engines as it made its approach.
It had a full load of fuel on board - the pilot had no chance to jettison it over the sea for safety.
A source on board the low-flying aircraft - caught on camera above by a horrified eye-witness - said: "It was absolutely terrifying. The scene was like something out of a movie.
BACK FROM DANGER: The jumbo after landing at Heathrow yesterday
"The crew and some passengers leapt out of their seats to secure the door."
The drama began just a few minutes after take-off at 9.20am when flight BA117 bound for JFK with 296 passengers on board was at 1,500 feet above south west London.
A light in the cockpit suddenly alerted the pilot there was a problem with Door 5 at the rear left hand side of the plane. He warned cabin crew who discovered that the large handle that secures it was loose and moving around.
Alarmed passengers dashed to help the crew try to secure the door handle on to a latch.
Meanwhile the pilot made the decision to abandon the flight and head back as quicky as possible to Heathrow at low altitude because of the threat to cabin pressure caused by the unsealed door.
Passenger Hannah Evershed said: "I fly a lot for work and I knew we were flying too low. I was nervous. I was with my fiance and he saw smoke under the wing."
It must have been a terrifying ordeal for the passengers 
On the ground below photographer Peter Luckhurst spotted the jumbo in distress as he watched his son play football near Surbiton, Surrey. "I thought it was way too low," he said. "It was no more than 800 feet and at times it could have been as low as 500. I could tell it was in trouble."
The plane was only airborne for 11 minutes so the pilot had no time to unload his fuel tank before landing. Emergency services scrambled to the runway as the jet touched down with flames shooting out of two of the engines.
But they extinguished themselves as it slowed down. Last night an investigation was launched into why the door handle was loose.
A source said: "Somebody is going to be in big trouble for this. But the pilot did an excellent job safely landing the plane with a full load.
"It must have been a terrifying ordeal for the passengers. They weren't to know the door wouldn't fly open during the flight."
A BA spokeswoman said last night the could not have opened because of the air pressure.
She said: "The handle on the door was not secured on the latch and it was reported moving. Some passengers did help members of the cabin crew to help secure the handle. At no stage was the door open.
"The pilot made the decision to fly back to Heathrow as a precaution. We have arranged for replacement flights for passengers to take them to their destination.
"The flames that were seen were caused by a combination of the heavy landing load and the maximum reverse thrust. An investigation has been launched and the plane will undergo a full assessment."
A spokesman for Heathrow said: "The emergency services attended the scene and were stood down once the passengers were in the terminal."
Risk of being sucked from jet
AN aviation expert last night warned that passengers could have been "sucked out" if the door had flown open at cruising height.
But Julian Bray added: "The pilot did the right thing in following safety procedure. The worst case scenario is a depressurisation and the door opening up. This is rare but it can happen and the pilot can not take any chances.
"But landing a plane with a full fuel load always carries the risk of fire, that is why pilots often offload fuel over the sea."
Todays News of the World 'newspaper' .
Horror on board flight BA117
Jet's emergency landing after door lock fails
</IMG> SO LOW: Stricken jet and the door over London yesterday By Dominic Herbert & Stephen Moyes, 03/10/2010
THIS packed Heathrow jumbo jet was at the centre of a terrifying mid-air scare yesterday after a door failed to shut properly on take-off.
Passengers and cabin crew battled to hang on to the handle of the the rear door at 1,500 feet above London.
The pilot aborted the flight and swung the plane round for an emergency landing, flying low over hundreds of homes.
Fears of a full-scale disaster increased when flames were seen belching from the New York-bound aircraft's engines as it made its approach.
It had a full load of fuel on board - the pilot had no chance to jettison it over the sea for safety.
A source on board the low-flying aircraft - caught on camera above by a horrified eye-witness - said: "It was absolutely terrifying. The scene was like something out of a movie.
BACK FROM DANGER: The jumbo after landing at Heathrow yesterday"The crew and some passengers leapt out of their seats to secure the door."
The drama began just a few minutes after take-off at 9.20am when flight BA117 bound for JFK with 296 passengers on board was at 1,500 feet above south west London.
A light in the cockpit suddenly alerted the pilot there was a problem with Door 5 at the rear left hand side of the plane. He warned cabin crew who discovered that the large handle that secures it was loose and moving around.
Alarmed passengers dashed to help the crew try to secure the door handle on to a latch.
Meanwhile the pilot made the decision to abandon the flight and head back as quicky as possible to Heathrow at low altitude because of the threat to cabin pressure caused by the unsealed door.
Passenger Hannah Evershed said: "I fly a lot for work and I knew we were flying too low. I was nervous. I was with my fiance and he saw smoke under the wing."
It must have been a terrifying ordeal for the passengers On the ground below photographer Peter Luckhurst spotted the jumbo in distress as he watched his son play football near Surbiton, Surrey. "I thought it was way too low," he said. "It was no more than 800 feet and at times it could have been as low as 500. I could tell it was in trouble."
The plane was only airborne for 11 minutes so the pilot had no time to unload his fuel tank before landing. Emergency services scrambled to the runway as the jet touched down with flames shooting out of two of the engines.
But they extinguished themselves as it slowed down. Last night an investigation was launched into why the door handle was loose.
A source said: "Somebody is going to be in big trouble for this. But the pilot did an excellent job safely landing the plane with a full load.
"It must have been a terrifying ordeal for the passengers. They weren't to know the door wouldn't fly open during the flight."
A BA spokeswoman said last night the could not have opened because of the air pressure.
She said: "The handle on the door was not secured on the latch and it was reported moving. Some passengers did help members of the cabin crew to help secure the handle. At no stage was the door open.
"The pilot made the decision to fly back to Heathrow as a precaution. We have arranged for replacement flights for passengers to take them to their destination.
"The flames that were seen were caused by a combination of the heavy landing load and the maximum reverse thrust. An investigation has been launched and the plane will undergo a full assessment."
A spokesman for Heathrow said: "The emergency services attended the scene and were stood down once the passengers were in the terminal."
Risk of being sucked from jet
AN aviation expert last night warned that passengers could have been "sucked out" if the door had flown open at cruising height.
But Julian Bray added: "The pilot did the right thing in following safety procedure. The worst case scenario is a depressurisation and the door opening up. This is rare but it can happen and the pilot can not take any chances.
"But landing a plane with a full fuel load always carries the risk of fire, that is why pilots often offload fuel over the sea."
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BA flight to New York in emergency landing at Heathrow
Let's hear some rumours people??
BA flight to New York in emergency landing at Heathrow
BBC News - BA flight to New York in emergency landing at Heathrow
The aircraft landed safely at Heathrow
A British Airways jumbo jet with 296 people on board had to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Heathrow airport.
The Boeing 747, destined for New York, was over London at 0920 BST when it was noticed a handle on a cabin door was moving.
Wimbledon residents reported a low-flying aircraft as the jet turned and headed back to Heathrow.
The flight, BA117, landed safely at the west London airport.
In total the plane was airborne for 11 minutes.
Passengers were being put on another flight thought to be departing at 1500 BST.
Hannah Evershed was on board. She said: "It wasn't fun. I fly a lot for work and I knew we were flying too low.
"The pilot alerted the cabin crew over the loudspeaker to answer his calls. It all happened quite quickly."
BA flight to New York in emergency landing at Heathrow
BBC News - BA flight to New York in emergency landing at Heathrow
The aircraft landed safely at Heathrow A British Airways jumbo jet with 296 people on board had to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Heathrow airport.
The Boeing 747, destined for New York, was over London at 0920 BST when it was noticed a handle on a cabin door was moving.
Wimbledon residents reported a low-flying aircraft as the jet turned and headed back to Heathrow.
The flight, BA117, landed safely at the west London airport.
In total the plane was airborne for 11 minutes.
Passengers were being put on another flight thought to be departing at 1500 BST.
Hannah Evershed was on board. She said: "It wasn't fun. I fly a lot for work and I knew we were flying too low.
"The pilot alerted the cabin crew over the loudspeaker to answer his calls. It all happened quite quickly."
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Ms Evershed added: "Other passengers were quite calm but I was nervous.
"I'm travelling with my fiance and he saw smoke under the wing.
"I'm travelling with my fiance and he saw smoke under the wing.
Traveling with her fiance made her nervous
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And just who was outside smoking under the wing, eh? eh?
I think it's in the spotters forum... someone has quoted the News of the Screws version. It'll have y'all falling about hysterical..
http://www.pprune.org/spectators-bal...mbledon-2.html
I think it's in the spotters forum... someone has quoted the News of the Screws version. It'll have y'all falling about hysterical..
http://www.pprune.org/spectators-bal...mbledon-2.html
I thought it was interesting that this apparently routine incident made the national news. Also thought it odd that they put a heavy 747 back on the ground in as little as 11 mins.
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News of the World reporting
On a more serious note is there a not case for BA to report this to the Press Complaints Committee ??
Whether you love BA or hate them this utter crap cannot be good for BA or the industry as a whole.
Whether you love BA or hate them this utter crap cannot be good for BA or the industry as a whole.
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Well done News of the World!!! That story has made my Sunday morning!!! Hilarious!!!! I think it must be a slow news day, and one of the new interns has been told "make a story from this complete non-event" and they have really taken them at their word!!!I love the fact that the passenger "knew we were too low" (except actually, they weren't) and the "aviation expert" either isn't a commercial pilot or has no media training!!
It was a loose door handle. Therefore they chose to return. No open door, no passengers about to get sucked out, no engines on fire in the air, no loss of control, it was at no point 'doomed' and it was a normal landing.
I had a "door open" indication the other week, on the take-off run. Do you think I should sell my story to the News of the World?
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I had to go to the 'News' of the World website to see if coldair had made this up. He hasn't, it's all there. What a complete and utter load of sensationalist drivel. Much as I dislike BA, I am a great believer in fairness and objectivity and I hope they will take this to the Press Complaints Committee and win substantial damages.
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Come on "Airbus Girl" !!
... you are missing the chance of a life time.
I assume from your profile you are "Lady Airbus Driver" ??
NoW headline - "Stunning Blonde 32 year old Pilot fights the controls of doomed jet low over the leafy suburbs of London"
Her husband Dave also a pilot said "This is what she is trained to do and I love her to bits" as he wiped a tear from his eye standing in the garden of their 400K luxury home in Berkshire holding 4 year old son Jason.
Jason said "My Mum is very special and I want to be a pilot one day" ....................
... oh and Jordan was a terrified passenger
I assume from your profile you are "Lady Airbus Driver" ??
NoW headline - "Stunning Blonde 32 year old Pilot fights the controls of doomed jet low over the leafy suburbs of London"
Her husband Dave also a pilot said "This is what she is trained to do and I love her to bits" as he wiped a tear from his eye standing in the garden of their 400K luxury home in Berkshire holding 4 year old son Jason.
Jason said "My Mum is very special and I want to be a pilot one day" ....................
... oh and Jordan was a terrified passenger
Last edited by rogerk; 3rd Oct 2010 at 11:12. Reason: spellin'
Also thought it odd that they put a heavy 747 back on the ground in as little as 11 mins