Crash at Heathrow

[THIS_IS_AIRFIELD]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 194086.stm
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,, ... 61,00.html

[dhblewis]

I wonder what caused it...

[DonalMW]

If I was allowed a guess i'd say windshear (I have experience )
As in any accident any third party speculation is just that, speculation, until the report comes out we'll not have a definative answer......

[StephenM]

To add to speculation, reports of double engine failure...

Anyway, best wait for the accident report to get a full idea!

[ronnie3585]

Carb ice?

[Bearcat]

wind shear at the wind advertised ....no. It takes a hellof a lot to take a 777 to land short.

i note there was no fires etc. for me i hazard a guess....inexplicable double gen failure short final......confusion there after??? or maybe fuel starvation...who knows. Thank god no one was wiped out.

[hugoj_air]

Reports seem to be saying a computer systems failure leading to the
shutdown of both engines if thats possible, a minute before touchdown.
You hear so much about backup systems, you would'nt think it possible that both would cut out together. Whatever happened the pilots done a great job to get it down safely.

Hugo.

[Dave]

I think it's fairly obvious terrorists took control of the airport and changed the ILS signal ala "Die Hard 2".....

[Michael Jackson]

The plane came in at slow speed(what happens when planes slow down in flight?="stall") Witnesses have said on the news that before it hit the ground one of the wings droped alot which would tell me the casue of this was a good old fashioned "STALL".

[Dave]

Agree with the stall, I think it was windshear. Looking at the metars for the day (I think it landed around 1300, correct me if I'm wrong):

2008/01/17 11:50
EGLL 171150Z 20014KT 170V240 9999 FEW006 SCT010 09/08 Q0997

2008/01/17 12:50
EGLL 171250Z 20013KT 9999 BKN008 10/08 Q0996 BECMG 24018G28KT SCT012 BKN020

2008/01/17 13:50
EGLL 171350Z 22015KT 9999 FEW021 12/09 Q0995

Certainly a gusting, veering wind can do that.

Bearcat, don't agree with the "takes a hell of a lot to take a 777 to land short". Airspeed is airspeed, stall speed is stall speed. When one approaches the other you have problems, on a C172 or B777.

[zulu10]

Im guessing that the aircraft stalled eventually when the glide speed became too low just before touchdown due to the pilots attempt at an extended glide. However I dont think a stall started this initially. Why would a large aircraft on normall final approach be flying anywhere near the stall speed. Im guessing a single engine failure coupled with incorrect action by the crew at very low altitude may be the cause. Double engine failure or total power loss resulting in dual engine shutdown just seems too unlikely for me.

[DonalMW]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080118/t ... 618_1.html

[Lambada Crazy]

according to the initial AAIB report, it seems that on a late 2 mile final, the autothrottle was engaged and demanded more power, there was no repsonse from the engines and the aircraft later struck the ground.

[mr crow]

.

[Lambada Crazy]

lol