Thankfully, there were no reported injuries.
A British Airways plane caught fire during take-off after the co-pilot made an error and got left and right mixed up.
According to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), the accident led aircraft’s brakes catching fire.
The incident occurred on June 28 2024, and led to a 50-minute runway delay at Gawtick Airport.
A British Airways spokesperson said: “Safety is always our highest priority and our pilots brought the aircraft to a safe stop.”
According to a report from the AAIB, 13 crew members and 334 passengers were on board the flight, which was meant for Vancouver, Canada.
The co-pilot of the aircraft “unintentionally” moved a lever to his left when he should have gone right.
This reduced the Boeing 777 aircraft’s thrust at a time when the aircraft’s commander called for the plane to start pulling up.
According to the report, the co-pilot “momentarily” sped up again before abandoning the takeoff.
The plane “stopped some distance before the end of the runway” and fire services were dispatched to put of the blaze on the landing gear.
The co-pilot of the plane had over 6,100 hours of flying experience, but he “expressed surprise” over the mistake and “could not identify a reason for it”, according to the report.
He last flew two weeks before the incident.
