A fire on a British Airways plane that shut down Gatwick Airport’s main runway was caused by a critical pilot error, an investigation has revealed.
The incident occurred on June 28, 2024, as a British Airways Boeing 777 was preparing for takeoff on a flight to Vancouver. During the high-speed takeoff roll, the co-pilot mistakenly pulled back the left-hand thrust lever instead of the control column. This caused a sudden reduction in engine thrust at over 190 mph, triggering an emergency stop on the runway.
The aircraft's brakes overheated from the abrupt halt, leading to a fire in the right main landing gear. Emergency crews responded quickly and extinguished the flames, preventing any injuries among the 347 passengers and crew on board.
The fire forced Gatwick’s primary runway to shut down for nearly an hour, resulting in 23 flight cancellations and 16 diversions, disrupting thousands of travelers.
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) classified the event as an “action slip,” a type of human error where a pilot performs the wrong action despite knowing the correct procedure. The co-pilot, who had recently returned from leave and was well-rested, was unable to explain the error.
British Airways had issued a safety notice reminding pilots to "pause before execution and cognitively consider what the required action is" four days before the incident, the AAIB said.
The agency added that the airline had "included 'mis-selections' in a new 'safety topic' section of its pre-flight briefing material for crew" and was promoting focus during regular simulator training for pilots.
British Airways praised the professionalism of the crew in managing the emergency and reiterated its commitment to safety.
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