The UK Air Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) has denied claims by the US national transport safety board (NTSB) the that the British Airways plane forced to make an emergency landing at Heathrow did so with one engine shut down and the other on fire, according to The Guardian.
However, UK investigators, who are expected to publish an interim report today, did not contradict claims that the engine coverings were torn from the plane either on or following take-off.
The London to Oslo flight returned to land at Heathrow soon after taking off last Friday (May 24). Passengers on board saw smoke billowing from the plane.
On landing, the passengers and crew left the plane using the emergency slides.
The NTSB is assisting the investigation because the engines were manufactured for Airbus in the US. On its website, the NTSB said: “An Airbus … had the engine cowls from both International Aero Engines V2500 engines separate and fall on to the runway. The pilots reported that they shut down one engine, there was a fuel leak, and that they were returning.”
The NTSB continued: “The pilots subsequently reported that one engine was shut down and the other engine was on fire.”
The AAIB has reportedly asserted that this information was incorrect.