Air controllers amazed as BA pilot flies despite fire

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Air traffic controllers monitoring a British Airways jumbo jet were stunned at the pilot's decision to try to "get as far as we can" after an engine caught fire on takeoff, a transcript of discussions between the plane and the control tower revealed.

The controllers in Los Angeles expected the four-engine Boeing 747 to turn around but, after taking advice from BA's operations base, the pilot carried on towards London. He told air traffic control: "We just decided we want to set off on our flight-plan route and get as far as we can."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/airlines/story/0,,1880286,00.html

 

[Papi Chulo]

About 10 years ago, I was on a Royal Airlines L-1011 which had an engine fire on takeoff. It was the Engine mounted in the tail structure.

We returned to LBP and made an emergency landing. Royal claimed that it was just a warning, indicating a fire, but there was not a fire.. the emergency landing was just procedure.

It was quite the experience!!

Turns out it was a pretty good fire as all of the paint around the engine had burned off