British Airways plane caught fire after pilot ‘confused left and right'
The brakes of a British Airways aircraft caught fire after a pilot confused left and right during take-off at Gatwick, an investigation has concluded.
The main runway was closed for 50 minutes after the incident at 11.20am on June 28, 2024, causing the cancellation of 23 flights and the diversion of 16.
The Boeing 777 was heading for Vancouver with 334 passengers and 13 crew.
During take-off, the co-pilot 'unintentionally' pulled his left hand back on the thrust lever, reducing the power output, when he should have taken his hand away, the report said. At the same time, he should have been preparing to pull back on the control column with his right hand.
His actions resembled a manoeuvre to abort a take-off or landing,
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