Planesailing From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 802 posts, RR: 0 Posted (7 years 7 months 5 hours ago) and read 1482 times:
Whilst on a rather boring lunch today, a manager at work started talking about flying.
So my little ears pricked up
She was telling everyone that about 10 years ago she was onboard a BA flight.
After take off from London Heathrow, first one engine, then 2 engines and finally 3 engines failed.
The captain came over the tannoy and told the passengers they were declaring an emergency landing, and heading to Biggin Hill.
The story finished that the plane did a large turn and headed back to Heathrow where it landed safely, with only one of four engines.
Does this ring any bells? Does anyone remember or have any information on this incident, or was she just trying to sound "cool" for being in an aircraft "crash?"
Cgagn From Canada, joined Sep 2003, 345 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (7 years 6 months 4 weeks 1 day ago) and read 1322 times:
All I recall was a BA 747 flying through volcanic ash or something and all 4 engines failing, which isn't really similar to the incident you over heard.
C-GAGN
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Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 3687 posts, RR: 31 Reply 2, posted (7 years 6 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 1284 times:
I don't recall any volcanoes popping up over Biggin Hill and that was in the 1980s.
I'm thinking your friend has perhaps exaggerated details over time without realising it, quite possible especially for someone not too au fait with flying. I'm no expert on the 747 but would have thought if it was on one engine it'd be diverted to somewhere as close as possible. If that were LHR then the aircraft has lost three engines in 20mins???
If you want to try and look it up there is a database of all the incidents (of which this would be one), I can't remember exactly where it is though Perhaps someone could help with that. It was an official website, if that makes any sense.
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BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18 Reply 5, posted (7 years 6 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1180 times:
Quoting Planesailing (Thread starter): Does this ring any bells? Does anyone remember or have any information on this incident, or was she just trying to sound "cool" for being in an aircraft "crash?"
The incident never happened. Your manager was probably on a flight where they might have shut an engine down after take off and returned to LHR, as it would be unwise to attempt an Atlantic crossing with one engine out of operation, especially if the aircraft was leaving its major base. (A BA 747 did fly from LAX to LHR with one engine shut down earlier this year, but this was because there was no base at LAX).
Your manager probably also heard of the BA incident in Indonesia on 24 June 1982 when 747 G-BDXH en route from Kuala Lumper to Perth flew through volcanic ash, that had neither been reported nor showed up on their radar, and all engines flamed out after ingesting volcanic dust. After losing all four engines, the 747 glided for a few minutes whilst frantic efforts were made to try and restart the engines. The crew eventually managed to restart one engine and later two others came back into life, and the 747 made an emergency landing on three engines at Jakarta despite the pilots being unable to see through the cockpit windscreen, which was covered with volcanic dust. The captain of this flight, Captain Moody, is now retired but regularly acts as a spokesman on air safety matters when consulted by the media.
Like anyone who likes to 'sexen' up a story, your manager probably put the two together to arrive at a tale of a three-engine failure in a 747 and emergency return to LHR!
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From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 802 posts, 
From Canada, joined Sep 2003, 345 posts, 
and that was in the 1980s.
Perhaps someone could help with that. It was an official website, if that makes any sense.
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