Image by Marc-Antony Payne
(Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
On 17 January 2008 a British Airways Boeing 777 en route from Beijing to London crashed just short of Heathrow Airport’s runway. But where is the aircraft now? A search via Google Earth has turned up the 777 wreck at Heathrow, stored anonymously behind a metal fence with all its BA markings removed.
Image via U.S. Federal Government
(Image in public domain)
The crash of BA 38 was caused by a build-up of ice crystals in the fuel which restricted fuel flow to the engines (above). As a result, the engines failed to generate thrust when the pilot added more throttle two miles from touch down. With airspeed reduced to 108 knots and the plane now in a glide, the 150-tonne 777 passed 20 feet above passing cars and crash landed 1,000 feet short of Runway 27 Left.
Image via Markie
(Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic)
The red line shows where the massive Boeing 777 first came into contact with the ground, skidding to a halt on the threshold of Runway 27 Left, depicted by the blue dot. Incredibly nobody was killed, although 47 people were injured. The nose gear collapsed on impact, the right main gear was torn from the aircraft, penetrating the central fuel tank and cabin space, while the left main gear was pushed up through the wing.
Image via Google Earth
Today, the wrecked British Airways 777, call sign Speedbird 38 for its fateful last flight, is stored behind a large metal barrier close to the runway threshold where it came to rest. It is located in a fenced-off area of one of the main servicing pans adjacent to the British Airways maintenance hangars.
Image via Google Earth
A closer look clearly shows the extent of the damage to the aircraft’s wings. The gaping wound in the left wing shows where the main landing gear was forced through the aircraft’s metal skin. What this aircraft is used for today is uncertain, although its presence at Heathrow so close to where it tore into the ground serves as an ominous reminder to both travellers and the aviation industry of the first Boeing 777 write-off.
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