What’s the Story Behind British Airways Flight 38?

On January 17, 2008, British Airways Flight 38, a scheduled flight from Beijing to London Heathrow, was approaching its destination when an unexpected event unfolded. The Boeing 777’s engines, typically responsive to auto-throttle commands, inexplicably failed to increase thrust, and gradually, both engines rolled back their power. This loss of thrust led the aircraft to lose critical airspeed, ultimately causing it to impact the ground around 330 meters (1,080 feet) from Heathrow’s Runway 27L and come to a halt on the grass beside the runway. Remarkably, despite substantial damage to the Boeing 777, all passengers and crew survived.

British Airways Flight 38 Crew Information

The aircraft involved, a Boeing 777-200ER registered as G-YMMM, carried 136 passengers and 16 crew members. Commanding the flight was Captain Peter Burkill, with 12,700 flight hours, including 8,450 on the Boeing 777. He was joined by Senior First Officer John Coward, boasting 9,000 total hours (7,000 on the 777), and another First Officer, Conor Magenis, with 5,000 flight hours, 1,120 on the Boeing 777. A well-qualified team of 13 cabin crew members was also on board.

In preparation for the extreme cold at waypoint POLHO near the China-Mongolia border, the flight plan dictated an initial climb to 10,400 m (FL341) and later a descent to 9,600 m (FL315). The departure from Beijing proceeded smoothly, and during the climb, air traffic control instructed the crew to climb to 10,600 m (FL348). Aware of the cold temperatures ahead, the crew carefully monitored fuel temperatures, ensuring that they stayed within safe operational limits.

Throughout the journey, the crew kept a close watch on the Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System (EICAS), noting a minimum fuel temperature of -34˚C—yet, no low-temperature warning activated during the flight. As the flight neared Heathrow, Captain Burkill piloted while First Officer Coward monitored. Guided by radar for an ILS approach to Runway 27L, they configured the aircraft for landing, reaching 1,000 feet above aerodrome level with full landing configuration.

The Moment of Engine Power Loss

At 800 feet, Coward assumed control for a manual landing. Just before 600 feet, both engines received increased thrust commands; however, at approximately 720 feet, both engines began to lose power. By 500 feet, Heathrow ATC cleared the aircraft to land, which the crew acknowledged. The situation took a turn as the aircraft, descending through 430 feet, started losing airspeed. The crew attempted to increase thrust both automatically and manually, but the engines remained unresponsive. As speed fell below the targeted 135 knots, the autopilot struggled to maintain the glide slope.

First Officer: “It’s not giving me power. What’s going on?”
Captain: “What do you mean?”
First Officer: “It looks like we have double engine failure.”

With airspeed decreasing to 115 knots, the ‘Airspeed Low’ warning sounded. In a bid to reduce drag, Captain Burkill retracted flaps from 30 to 25. Despite these efforts, airspeed dropped further, and the aircraft was nearing a stall. Just ten seconds before impact, the stick shaker activated, warning of an impending stall. Coward quickly pushed the control column forward, disengaging the autopilot and lowering the aircraft’s pitch. Despite a last-minute attempt to start the auxiliary power unit (APU) and issue a MAYDAY call, the aircraft impacted the ground 330 meters short of the runway.

Evacuation and Response

As the Boeing 777 came to rest on Heathrow’s grass threshold, Captain Burkill called for an evacuation. Initially transmitting on the Heathrow Tower frequency instead of the cabin PA system, he corrected the call, initiating the evacuation protocol. Emergency services swiftly responded, and all passengers and crew exited the aircraft via escape slides. One passenger suffered a leg fracture, while 34 passengers and 12 cabin crew members sustained minor injuries, mainly to the neck and back.

The Structural Damage and Investigations of British Airways Flight 38

The Boeing 777 sustained significant damage upon impact. The nose landing gear and both main landing gears collapsed; the right main gear detached entirely, puncturing the fuselage near seat rows 29-30. The nose gear separated from the fuselage, and both engines, though heavily damaged, remained attached. The engines ingested earth and debris during the impact, with the left engine losing nearly 50% of its fan blades after hitting a concrete drain. Although over 6,750 kilograms (14,880 lbs) of fuel leaked, no fire occurred.

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) launched an investigation, ultimately concluding that ice crystals in the fuel system were the primary cause. The flight path over Mongolia, Siberia, and Scandinavia at altitudes between FL348 and FL400 had exposed the aircraft to extreme temperatures as low as −74°C (-101°F), leading to ice formation in the fuel. These ice crystals eventually restricted fuel flow, impairing engine thrust when increased power was demanded during final approach.

Contributing Factors and Safety Recommendations

The investigation highlighted several key factors contributing to the fuel flow issue:

• Accumulated ice within the fuel system became dislodged, obstructing fuel flow at the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger (FOHE) for both engines.
• Ice had formed due to naturally occurring water in the fuel while the aircraft maintained low fuel flows at very low temperatures.
• The FOHE, though certified, proved vulnerable to ice restriction under these specific conditions—a high concentration of soft ice, fuel temperature below -10°C, and fuel flow above idle.
• Existing certification standards did not account for this phenomenon, as the risk was not widely recognized.

Following these findings, the AAIB recommended several measures to enhance flight safety. These included improved fuel system designs to prevent ice formation, better crew training to manage engine irregularities, and enhanced monitoring of engine parameters. British Airways promptly implemented new procedures for fuel management and engine monitoring and collaborated with industry partners to address the issues.

Honoring the Crew’s Bravery and the Legacy of British Airways Flight BA38

The dedication and professionalism displayed by Flight BA38’s crew did not go unrecognized. British Airways awarded all 16 crew members its highest honor, the BA Safety Medal. In December 2008, the Royal Aeronautical Society bestowed the crew with the President’s Award, celebrating their exceptional response under pressure.

Eighteen safety recommendations were made in total, each contributing to a safer future in aviation.

• Featured image by Dennis HKG

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