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| Date: | Thursday 26 June 2003 |
| Time: | 10:00 |
| Type: |  Boeing 777-236ER |
| Owner/operator: | British Airways |
| Registration: | G-VIIA |
| MSN: | 27483/41 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1997 |
| Engine model: | GE90-85B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 286 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Reigate, Surrey -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | London Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) |
| V.C.Bird International Airport, St. Johns,Antigua (ANU/TAPA) | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Over (or near) Reigate, Surrey, during the initial climbout from London Gatwick Airport, bound for V.C.Bird International Airport, St. Johns, Antigua, Boeing 777-236ER G-VIIA of British Airways sustained the following damage on 26-06-2003: Access door detached, cabin windows damaged, minor damage to fuselage and fin. No injuries reported to the 286 persons on board (crew of 14 plus 272 passengers). According to the following excerpt from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"A large access door, measuring 4 x 6 feet and weighing 70 lb, detached from the aircraft shortly after takeoff from Gatwick Airport, causing substantial damage to two cabin windows and minor damage to the fuselage and fin.
Fragments of the door penetrated into the cabin and large parts of it landed close to persons on the ground. It was likely that only one of the thirteen door catches had been fastened and that the door had suffered overload failure due to aerodynamic forces as the aircraft accelerated, allowing it to open and detach. Multiple walk-round inspections of the aircraft by different personnel had failed to detect the open catches.
The inadequate fastening had apparently occurred during a routine maintenance check due to a deviation from standard procedures; a practice that reportedly had been fostered by features of the maintenance system and may have been commonplace. It appeared likely that the human performance factors evident in this event could be affected beneficially by improvements in the operator’s maintenance and inspection systems."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. CAA: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422f255ed915d13740003ef/G-VIIA_3-05.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=VIIA
3. https://www.planespotters.net/airframe/Boeing/777/27483/G-VIIA-British-Airways
4. http://www.airfleets.net/ficheapp/plane-b777-27483.htm
Media:
British Airways Boeing 777-236(ER) G-VIIA at London Heathrow Airport 09-06-2014:
_G-VIIA_(14390367715).jpg)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jul-2016 20:32 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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