- Flight BA919 from Dusseldorf issued a "mayday" distress call on July 6 due to stall warnings while approaching Heathrow Airport.
- The Airbus A320 dropped from 6,000ft to just under 4,000ft in four minutes during the incident.
- The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is investigating the serious incident involving the aircraft.
- The French Air Safety Investigation Authority reported a data system failure that triggered the stall warning as the plane approached Heathrow.
- The urgency call was upgraded to mayday, indicating imminent danger, after another stall warning occurred at 3,000 feet.
- The captain was forced to override the pilot’s initial remedy as the A320 dropped to an altitude of just under 4,000ft.
- After the intervention, the plane recovered to 8,000ft and a speed of about 250 knots.
- The incident has been reported as loss of control in-flight and described as pilot induced.
- Senior figures indicated there was almost a hull loss, a term used in aviation to describe an aircraft that has been destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
- British Airways stated they are assisting the AAIB with its investigation and are legally unable to comment further.
A British Airways flight issued a mayday call on July 6 while approaching Heathrow Airport after experiencing two stall warnings. The Airbus A320, operating flight BA919 from Dusseldorf, encountered a data system failure that triggered the initial warning.1256
The aircraft dropped from 6,000ft to just under 4,000ft in four minutes, with a groundspeed of 148 knots (170mph), close to landing speed. The urgency of the situation escalated, leading the crew to upgrade their call to mayday, indicating imminent danger.
According to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the incident is classified as a serious occurrence, with reports suggesting a potential “loss of control in-flight” and a risk of “hull loss”, a term indicating severe damage to the aircraft.3910
The captain intervened to override the first officer’s controls, successfully recovering the plane to 8,000ft and a speed of 250 knots (287mph). The AAIB is currently investigating the incident, with British Airways stating they are assisting with the inquiry but cannot comment further at this stage.78
The French Air Safety Investigation Authority confirmed the stall warnings occurred as the plane approached Heathrow, with the second warning happening at 3,000 feet, just miles from the airport.4
“The Airbus A320, which can carry up to 186 passengers, experienced a data system failure that triggered stall warnings, prompting the crew to escalate their urgency call. The aircraft dropped from 6,000ft to just under 4,000ft before recovering to 8,000ft, raising concerns about a potential hull loss.”
BBC
The Times
