The Air Accidents Investigation Branch is examining the emergency landing of a BA plane at Heathrow.

BA’s aircraft recovery team has moved the Boeing 777 aircraft which performed an emergency landing at Heathrow airport on Thursday 17 January, while the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has continued its investigation into the incident.

According to the AAIB report, the Beijing to London flight descended rapidly towards the runway at Heathrow from a height of 600 feet, causing it to hit the ground 1,000 feet short of the runway surface.

The AAIB’s initial investigation has described the damage sustained by the plane as “substantial” and has stated that ‘the engines failed to respond’ to two separate demands from the flight crew. Flight BA038 then operated an emergency evacuation, involving 136 passengers and 16 flight crew. Only one serious injury was sustained during the incident, along with minor injuries to 12 people.

The pilot, Captain Peter Burkill, has been praised for his handling of the situation. He said of the incident: “As British Airways flight and cabin crew, we are trained on a regular basis to deal with emergency situations. We have procedures to follow and everyone knows their role.

“Flying is about teamwork – and we had an outstanding team on board yesterday. As captain of the aircraft, I am proud to say that every member of the team played their part expertly yesterday, displaying the highest standards of skill and professionalism.”

The AAIB is continuing its detailed investigation which includes analysis of the Flight Recorder information and aircraft systems.