World: Jumbo jet wing sliced at Heathrow

Tuesday, 16 October 2007

British Airways is investigating a runway collision involving one of its jumbo jets and another packed passenger plane. Members of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) are also looking into the incident at Heathrow Airport between a BA Boeing 747 and a SriLankan Airlines Airbus A340.

Passengers described how the Airbus hit the BA plane from behind, slicing off the BA plane's wing. No-one was hurt.

It is thought the Boeing plane, flight BA011, which was bound for Singapore with 328 passengers on board, was stationary.

The Airbus was heading for Colombo in Sri Lanka and was carrying 286 passengers and crew.

A BA spokesman said: "Our engineers are inspecting the plane and we are continuing to look into the incident."

A spokeswoman for SriLankan Airlines said it was "a minor incident involving a British Airways aircraft when taxiing to the runway at Heathrow".

She went on: "It is reported that the wing tips of the two aircraft brushed against each other while taxiing."

It was hoped that all the passengers involved would be flown out of Heathrow on other flights.

Danish journalist Annasofie Flamand, 32, who was on the SriLankan flight, said: "We turned our wing, almost hit what looked like the tail end of the British Airways flight, and we ended up chopping off a bit of wing.

"It's pretty incredible to see something like that in a place like Heathrow Airport. Thank God it was on the ground and not in the air."

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