Same Aircraft Which Lost Engine On Takeoff From LAX Loses Replacement Engine, Continues Flight From Singapore

One would think that after all the media attention British Airways received for its decision to fly one of their 747's with 350+ souls on board all the way to Manchester Airport after losing an engine just seconds after takeoff, the company would refrain from drawing attention to itself under similar circumstances.

As it turns out, the very 747 that was involved in this incident was involved in yet another incident when the number two replacement engine also failed a few days later on a flight from Singapore to Heathrow. The aircraft left Singapore on February 25 and landed in London the next day, some 15 minutes behind schedule, according to BA spokesperson Jay Marritt.

Just three hours into a flight that eventually lasted fourteen hours, the captain shut down the replacement engine after he noticed that the oil pressure indicator was not indicating within the normal operating range. The captain also decided to continue the flight on three engines, all the way to London. "It's still very safe to fly a 747 on three engines," Marritt said. "It is certified to do so."

After that aircraft landed in Manchester following the engine failure on takeoff from LAX, it appears to have been ferried for maintenance to London, where the engine was dropped and replaced. The aircraft was then returned to service, and it flew to Melbourne, Australia and continued on to Singapore.  "It was the No. 2 engine that failed but in totally different circumstances, it's one of those very strange coincidences," Marritt said.

The FAA and the British CAA are now investigating both incidents. "We are concerned," said FAA spokesperson Laura Brown. So far, no one seems to have evidence tying the LAX incident to the new EU regulation that forces airlines to compensate passengers for any delays longer than five house.

"We would never compromise the safety of our passengers," said British Airways spokesperson Diane Fung on Monday to the Associated Press. "The plane is certified to fly on three engines. It is perfectly safe to do so. The pilots are trained for such situations.

(ANN knows there are plenty of 747 drivers lurking out there. Care to comment? See the FMI link below. Ed. JJ)

FMI: mailto:editor@aero-news.net, www.britishairways.com