How do you move a 200-tonne jet? Very, very carefully

INCH by painstaking inch, the wreckage of a 200-tonne British Airways plane was last night moved from the spot where it came to rest after its dramatic crash-landing at Heathrow airport.

The Boeing 777 started its slow 500m journey from the end of the southern runway to the airline's engineering base at Hatton Cross yesterday afternoon.

BA038 crash-landed last Thursday after its engines failed – with all 136 passengers and 16 crew escaping from the flight from Beijing.

Yesterday, the BA aircraft recovery team placed the 209ft plane on to electronically controlled platforms positioned under its belly.

Specialist equipment for such scenarios arrived at Heathrow from Staffordshire-based company ALE yesterday morning.

Hydraulic jacks and airbags were used to position eight canvas strops under the hull.

These were attached to two specialist cranes each capable of lifting 150 tonnes. Once in position, the aircraft was jacked up inch by inch until it was at the correct height for the three platforms to be positioned. Each wheeled platform is capable of holding 80 tonnes.

To prepare for the move, the airline's expert recovery team has been working around the clock since the crash to stabilise the aircraft and prepare it for the move.

Speaking as the operation began yesterday, Bruce Hunter, the general manager of operational maintenance, said: "BA's specialist recovery team of 20 engineers flies round the world helping airlines move stranded aircraft.

"The team has painstakingly lifted the aircraft to prepare it for the move. The next stage will take several hours to complete as the team makes sure the aircraft is moved slowly and safely to its new location."

More than 50 short-haul and domestic flights at Heathrow were cancelled due to the move.

John Coward, the senior first officer on the flight, under the command of Captain Peter Burkill, averted disaster by landing the plane just within Heathrow's fence following the malfunction. The preliminary report from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) into the incident – which left 18 of the 136 passengers needing treatment for a range of injuries, including one broken leg – is due to be published within 30 days.

Members of the AAIB have worked through the night to determine the cause of the fault.

An initial report released by the AAIB stated that all had gone normally with the flight until the aircraft was just two miles from landing and at a height of 600ft.

The early findings appeared to corroborate various claims that the plane suddenly lost power.

Mr Coward, who guided the aircraft in, said he feared everyone on board was going to die.

The 41-year-old said he became aware of a loss of power on board the plane on the final approach to the airport.

The father-of-three said: "When I came in to land, I thought, 'This is going to be a catastrophic crash. This is it'.

"Suddenly there was nothing from any of the engines, and the plane started to glide.

"I didn't think we'd clear the fence at first. As we landed I was bracing myself for an enormous thud.

"But instead of one thud, there was a series of thuds as it bounced along the grass."

Some disruption continued at the airport yesterday in the wake of the incident.

A spokeswoman for BAA, which runs Heathrow airport, said there had been 52 cancellations in total – 26 departures and 26 arrivals.

She added: "It's a knock-on effect from the incident.

"We have had a slight reduction in capacity because we do not have the (use of the] full length of the runway, but we do have to put this in context – 1,300 flights leave Heathrow every day."

'WHAT HAPPENED WOULD ENCOURAGE ME TO FLY BA AS IT SHOWS HOW GREAT THEIR PILOTS ARE'

PASSENGERS at Heathrow yesterday gave British Airways their vote of confidence by saying they would not hesitate to fly with them, despite facing more delays and cancellations.

Louise O'Neill, 23, a human resources officer who was boarding a BA flight to Johannesburg, said: "What happened on Thursday will encourage me to fly with BA because it is an example of how great their pilots are. I am looking to change my career and possibly become a pilot as well. I feel like I have a better understanding of how planes work and what the risks involved are. Pilots are trained for these events. If you think of cars on the road, people are not trained to deal with crashes. I have all the faith in the pilots."

Neil Milne, 38, an operations manager, faced a two-hour delay after his flight to Aberdeen was cancelled. He said: "I expected a delay. It's frustrating, but there is nothing you can do. If you fly with any regularity you know it's one of the safest ways to travel.

"If you are going to allow what happened on Thursday to stop you from flying, then you would not leave the house. It is something that can happen to any airline.

"I think what it says is that BA has excellent crews, as shown by the heroic co-pilot who glided the plane down."

Linda Magill, 58, a housewife on her way to Manchester, said: "I am confident about flying, despite what happened. It does not bother me. The odds of it happening again are so low it is not even worth thinking about."

A spokeswoman for BA said a tenth of short-haul flights had to be cancelled.