| Co-pilot landed BA crash flight |
The captain of the British Airways flight forced to crash land at Heathrow yesterday has paid tribute to the "outstanding team" on board the plane, and revealed it was his First Officer who piloted the stricken aircraft into land.
Captain Peter Burkill commended the skill of handling pilot John Coward, who was at the controls of the Boeing 777 during the final approach.
Mr Burkill said: "As captain I am proud to say that every member of my team played their part expertly yesterday, no one more so than John Coward who was handling pilot on the final approach and did the most fantastic job."
He also praised the "selfless" actions of the cabin crew, including cabin services director Sharon Eaton-Mercer, who ensured the evacuation was carried out safely.
It's thought the aircraft suffered catastrophic engine failure 20 seconds from landing as it was still 400ft from the ground.
Investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), will analyze data from the plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder, as well as talk to pilots, passengers and air controllers.
There has been speculation from aviation experts that power failure could have been caused by a flock of birds, possibly geese being sucked into the engines.
Despite the sudden loss of power, the pilot managed to "glide" the airliner over houses, airport buildings and a busy road before "belly flopping" it on to grass at 100mph only 50 yards inside the perimeter fence.
One wing was almost ripped away as the flight landed 400 yards short of the runway and its undercarriage sheared off as it skidded almost a quarter of a mile to a halt. Terrified passengers told how they were left in darkness as the lights went off and the plane's emergency oxygen masks dropped down. One claimed that smoke began to fill the cabin as the BA crew ushered them out to emergency chutes.
Eyewitnesses said the aircraft "dropped like a stone" after it "see-sawed" on its approach, with its nose bobbing up and down. They praised the BA captain's actions in missing nearby houses and the road, thereby avoiding a disaster.
Capt Burkill, one of BA's most experienced pilots with almost 20 years service, was described as looking "very pale" as the plane was evacuated. The incident was so sudden he did not even have time to send out a mayday distress call.
Witnesses said the jet missed the tops of houses by less than 200ft as the pilot wrestled to regain control and was only 20ft off the ground as it cleared the A30 - a busy dual carriageway.
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