A British Airways flight had to cancel takeoff at the last moment after a small mistake by the co-pilot caused a brake fire. The main runway at Gatwick Airport was shut down for a while, and several other flights were affected.
What exactly happened?
On 28 June 2024, British Airways flight BA2279 was ready to fly from London Gatwick to Vancouver. But just before takeoff, the co-pilot confused his left and right hand.
According to the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), during takeoff the co-pilot was supposed to pull back the control column using his right hand. But instead, he pulled his left hand back by mistake.
What happened because of this?
This action led to an emergency stop at very high speed. Because of the sudden braking, the brakes on the right main landing gear became too hot and caught fire.
The airport fire team quickly arrived and managed to put out the fire without any major damage.
Runway shut, other flights affected
Because of this incident, Gatwick’s main runway was closed for some time. Around 16 incoming flights had to be diverted to other airports, and 23 flights were cancelled.
Any injuries?
Thankfully, all 347 people on board, including passengers and crew, were safe. This incident is concerning because the co-pilot had over 6,000 hours of flight experience. He later said he was feeling well and could not explain how the mistake happened.
How was the situation handled?
The captain handled the situation calmly. He quickly informed air traffic control and stopped the aircraft safely without panic.