By Ebi Kesiena
A British Airways flight was forced to abort take-off at Gatwick Airport after the co-pilot mistakenly confused left and right controls, causing the aircraft’s brakes to overheat and catch fire, investigators have revealed.
According to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the incident occurred when the co-pilot accidentally moved a lever to the left instead of the right during a critical moment of the take-off roll. This reduced engine thrust just as the captain called for full power, prompting the crew to abort take-off.
The Boeing 777, carrying 334 passengers and a 13-person crew, came to a stop well before the runway’s end. Emergency responders were called to extinguish a fire that broke out on the aircraft’s right landing gear. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
British Airways responded by emphasizing its commitment to safety: “Our pilots brought the aircraft to a safe stop, and safety is always our highest priority.” Gatwick Airport declined to comment.
The AAIB report noted that the co-pilot, who had over 6,100 flying hours, was surprised by his own error and could not explain the mistake. He had last flown two weeks prior to the incident and had no known distractions or workload issues that morning.
Just days before the mishap, British Airways had issued a safety notice reminding pilots to mentally verify actions before execution. In response to the incident, the airline has added the topic of “mis-selections” to its pre-flight briefing materials and is reinforcing focus and situational awareness in simulator training sessions.
