A British AirwaysBoeing 777-200 G-VIIO (CN 29320) suffered a major engine failure as it was beginning its take off in Las Vegas, triggering a fire and requiring an emergency evacuation, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The failure occurred in the left engine as the aircraft was accelerating on the runway for take off late on Tuesday.
The jet stopped safely before becoming airborne, allowing passengers and crew to exit the aircraft safely before the fire worsened, he said.
The jet, operating as flight 2276, was the airline’s scheduled service from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to London Gatwick airport.
British Airways said 157 passengers were aboard the 275-seat jet, along with three pilots and 10 cabin crew. “A small number of customers and our crew have been taken to hospital,” an airline spokeswoman said.
A tweet from Boeing’s account said it is aware of the fire and is gathering information.
The aircraft was operating General Electric engines, and the manufacturer said it was gathering initial information about what transpired in Las Vegas.
Though they are extremely rare, engine failures on take off are among the most trained-for incidents by airline pilots. Aircraft and their crews are dispatched with precise speeds and weight calculations to allow an aircraft to stop safely during the high-acceleration during the take off process.
Sourced from the Wall Street Journal
http://www.wsj.com/articles/british-airways-777-catches-fire-in-las-vegas-after-engine-failure-1441762369
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