British Airways Flight 268
Encyclopedia
British Airways Flight 268 was a regularly scheduled flight from Los Angeles' LAX airport to London Heathrow. The flight took off at about 9:24 p.m. on February 20, 2005. When the plane, a four engine Boeing 747-436
, was about 300 feet into the air, flames burst out of its number 2 engine. The pilots shut the engine down. Air traffic control
expected the plane to return to the airport. However, after consulting with the airline dispatcher, the pilots decided to set off on their flight plan "and get as far as we can." While 747s are certified to fly on three engines, doing so leaves much less room for error. Upon reaching England, the captain declared an emergency and landed in Manchester. A safety controversy ensued; the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) accused the carrier of flying an "unairworthy" plane across the Atlantic ocean. The FAA proposed fining the carrier $25,000, but in the end it told British Airways it was dropping the case based on assurances that airline changes will "preclude the type of extended operation that was the subject of this enforcement action."
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
, was about 300 feet into the air, flames burst out of its number 2 engine. The pilots shut the engine down. Air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
expected the plane to return to the airport. However, after consulting with the airline dispatcher, the pilots decided to set off on their flight plan "and get as far as we can." While 747s are certified to fly on three engines, doing so leaves much less room for error. Upon reaching England, the captain declared an emergency and landed in Manchester. A safety controversy ensued; the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) accused the carrier of flying an "unairworthy" plane across the Atlantic ocean. The FAA proposed fining the carrier $25,000, but in the end it told British Airways it was dropping the case based on assurances that airline changes will "preclude the type of extended operation that was the subject of this enforcement action."