A British Airways 747 lost an engine shortly after take off en route between Los Angeles and London but continued to London anyway - some might think that the prospect of having to pay out £100,000 in compensation to passengers for any delays had a bearing on the decision.Shortly after take off air traffic controllers noticed sparks coming from one engine. The pilot attempted to reduce power to the engine, but it over-heated and had to be shut down. Apparently, after consulting with BA’s operating base, the the pilot of the Jumbo carrying 351 passengers and 18 crew decided to press on to London with just three engines.
Flight 268 never made it to London though because it ran short of fuel. The problem was that flying with three engines meant that the aircraft couldn’t climb high enough to reach cruising altitude. At cruising altitude a plane will usually get a boost from a tailwind and the engines perform more efficiently; saving fuel. Another problem was the pilot had to use the plane’s rudder compensate for the loss of power from the number two engine, which increased drag and fuel consuption.
The pilot had to request an emergency landing at UK’s Manchester airport, where the plane was greeted by four fire trucks and 30 firefighters though passengers and crew were able to disembark safely.
The incident, which happened in February, came days after new EU regulations came into force, making airlines liable for large compensation bills for delayed flights.
Aviation experts expressed suprise at the Captain’s decision to press on to London with just three engines, suggesting instead that the plane should have dumped its fuel and diverted to another airport in the US. The UK’s Air Accident Investigation Branch has recommended that the Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Aviation Authority should “review the policy on flight continuation … following shutdown of an engine, in order to provide guidance to operators”.
The ultimate decision on saftey matters rests with the pilot on board, but I would love to hear a transcript of that discussion between the crew and BA’s operating base!