ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272310
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| Date: | Thursday 23 December 2021 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Boeing 777-236ER |
| Owner/operator: | British Airways |
| Registration: | G-YMME |
| MSN: | 30306/275 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 200 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Location: | Over Atlantic Ocean, between London Gatwick and San Jose -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | London-Gatwick Airport (LGW/EGKK) |
| San José-Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO/MROC) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
A British Airways Boeing 777-236ER (G-YMME) operating Flight BA2237 between London Gatwick and San Jose, Puerto Rico suffered a shattered windscreen when a block of ice fell from another plane flying 1,000ft above, causing misery for passengers unable to get back to the UK for Christmas.
The Boeing 777 was flying from London Gatwick to Costa Rica at 35,000ft when the ice struck its windshield in a 'one-in-a-million chance.' The pilots were able to fly the plane into San Jose but the repairs needed spelt disaster for some 200 passengers who had been due back in London by Christmas Eve.
Their flight was rescheduled for the following evening but failure to get a plane diverted from Jamaica meant that they were forced to spend another night in the airport hotel, finally leaving on Boxing Day - 50 hours behind schedule.
BA2236 finally left 50 hours late at 8.35pm on Christmas Day (December 25), and arrived in London shortly after 12pm on Boxing Day (December 26). Those passengers were eventually repatriated to the U.K. on a replacement aircraft, while G-YMMB, with its shiny new windshield, had to wait another day to make the non-revenue positioning flight back to Gatwick.
BA expressed a 'heartfelt apology' to passengers and blamed the lengthy delay on the smashed windscreen.
A spokesperson said: 'We would like to send a heartfelt apology to the customers on this flight, who have had their Christmas plans ruined. We will never fly an aircraft unless we feel it is completely safe to do so, and on this occasion, our engineers were unable to clear it to fly.
Since then, our teams have been working behind the scenes to do all they can to ensure an aircraft is ready at the earliest opportunity to bring customers to London. We appreciate the patience and the understanding of our customers and our engineers and crew colleagues who have also done all they can to assist.'
However, some were skeptical about the aircraft being hit by a block of ice from another aircraft, quote:
"Obvious the window cracked but from a ice block from a plane above it - doubt it - crack pattern originates at the window heat busbar and radiates out from there - most probably a faulty window heating element or window heat controller. If you enlarge the picture you can make out slight burn marks indicating arching at the busbar"
Sources:
1. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10347757/BA-jet-flying-windshield-smashed-block-ice-fell-plane-flying-it.html
2. https://www.hindustantimes.com/videos/world-news/oneinamillion-british-airways-aircraft-hit-by-block-of-ice-at-35-000-feet-101640745385841.html
3. https://www.aerotime.aero/29810-british-airways-scare-windshield-hit-block-ice
4. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/breaking-news-ba-b-777er-windshield-hit-by-ice-from-higher-flying-aircraft/
5. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/17149536/ba-flight-shattered-windscreen-ice-from-jet-smashed/
6. Photo: https://www.goklerdeyiz.net/ucusta-1000-feet-uzerindeki-ucaktan-buz-dustu-kokpit-cami-kirildi/
7. https://mentourpilot.com/777-windshield-cracked-by-ice-falling-from-another-plane/
8. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/screen-grab-british-airways-cunning-185554607.html
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 11 June 2004 | G-YMME | British Airways | 0 | London Heathrow Airport (LHR/EGLL) | |
min |
Media:
British Airways 777 flying from Gatwick to Costa Rica has its windshield smashed by block of ice which fell from a plane flying 1,000ft above it. No injuries reported. https://t.co/CjYBJkGSKC pic.twitter.com/TzEF3dW2Nu
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) December 27, 2021
British Airways, G-YMME Boeing 777 at London Heathrow 23 February 2011:#ba2236 the joy of the pilot arriving at the gate in SJO after 48 hours of delays ruining Christmas #3rdtimelucky #getushome @BBCNews @guardian @SkyNews @Independent @DailyMailUK pic.twitter.com/DsYkZ8kCQE
— Amanda McLaughlan (@amcostume) December 26, 2021
_G-YMME_-_MSN_30306_275_(5470961028).jpg)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Dec-2021 16:41 | Goklerdeyiz.net | Added |
| 29-Dec-2021 18:11 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 29-Dec-2021 18:14 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Embed code] |
| 29-Dec-2021 18:18 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 31-Dec-2021 10:06 | Cushman | Updated [Country, Source] |
| 17-Jan-2022 23:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator] |
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