Engine type of BA jet that caught fire safe: General Electric

Los Angeles

THE manufacturer of the engine that burst into flames on a British Airways jet in Las Vegas said on Wednesday that other aircraft powered by the GE90 engines were still safe to fly.

The Boeing 777 was preparing to take off with 172 people on board on Tuesday when the fire broke out in its left engine. The crew immediately aborted the takeoff and terrified passengers scrambled off the burning plane using emergency slides.

The airline said on Wednesday that a total of eight people had been taken to hospital. All were later released after receiving treatment. General Electric (GE), maker of the GE90, said that it was sending technical representatives to assist an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, but insisted that its engine was safe.

"Based on the engine fleet's service history, we are not aware of any operational issues that would hazard the continued safe flight of aircraft powered by these engines," it said.

Boeing and British Airways, which sent letters of apology to passengers on flight BA2276, were also taking part in the probe.

GE issued a statement saying that the engine "has compiled an outstanding safety and reliability record since entering service in 1995".

"The GE90 is among the world's most reliable engines, powering more than 900 Boeing 777 aircraft and accumulating more than 50 million flight hours."

Richard Aboulaffia, an aeronautics expert, agreed that the Boeing 777 is one of the world's most reliable aircraft, telling AFP that the Las Vegas incident should not affect either Boeing or GE.

Boeing shares were up 0.82 per cent to US$134.92 at the opening of the stock market in New York on Wednesday, as were GE's, which rose 0.42 per cent to US$25.

The BA jet was preparing to leave for London when it experienced what its pilot later described as a "catastrophic engine failure".

Named in the British press as Chris Henkey, the pilot has four decades of experience. TheGuardian quoted his wife Marnie as saying: "He is safe and happy. I've had some messages from him. He did a bloody good job."

Aviation expert Julian Bray said: "It was a textbook emergency evacuation under difficult conditions because that smoke was thick, black and acrid."

There were 159 passengers and 13 crew on the flight, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration. The blaze was quickly put out by some 50 firefighters.

The British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) praised the handling of the incident. "Having such a serious incident resulting in only a few minor injuries is a tribute to the professionalism of the pilots, the cabin crew and the emergency responders at Las Vegas," said Captain Brendan O'Neal, Balpa's chairman. AFP