
British Airways Flight 38 (call sign Speedbird 38) was a scheduled flight from Beijing Capital International Airport which crash landed just short of the runway at its destination, Heathrow Airport, London, on 17 January 2008 after an 8100-kilometre (4400 nmi; 5000 mi) flight. There were no fatalities, but 47 people sustained injuries. It was the first accident that resulted in a Boeing 777 hull loss. The cause was determined to have been ice crystals in the fuel clogging the fuel-oil heat exchanger (FOHE) of each engine. This restricted fuel flow to the engines as thrust was demanded during the final approach to Heathrow. Because temperatures in flight had not dropped below the 777's designed operating parameters, the Air Accidents Investigations Branch (AAIB) recommended Boeing and Rolls-Royce take interim measures on Trent 800-powered 777s to reduce the risk of ice restricting fuel delivery. Pilots now have procedures to keep such blockages from forming, and a revised procedure to be followed in the event of power loss that takes into account the possibility that ice accumulation is the cause. In early 2009, Boeing sent an update to aircraft operators, identifying the problem as specific to the Rolls-Royce engine fuel-oil heat exchangers, and Rolls-Royce has subsequently developed a modification to its FOHE; the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) mandated that all affected aircraft were to be fitted with the modification before 1 January 2011. Other aircraft, and <b>...</b>
Air Crash Investigation
Air Emergency
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Heathrow Crash Landing
The Heathrow Enigma
British Airways
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London Heathrow Airport
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