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| Heathrow Airport runways closed after plane 'fire' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Both runways were closed at Heathrow Airport after a British Airways (BA) plane made an emergency landing, the airport has said. | Both runways were closed at Heathrow Airport after a British Airways (BA) plane made an emergency landing, the airport has said. |
| All passengers and crew were "safely evacuated" from the plane following an engine fault at about 09:00 BST. | |
| BA said the Heathrow to Oslo service turned back after a technical fault. Witnesses reported seeing flames coming from the engine. | |
| The southern runway has reopened. The northern runway remains closed. | |
| BA said the Airbus A319 was carrying 75 passengers - who were safely evacuated - and a "full investigation" would be conducted into the incident. | |
| John Coghlan told the BBC he saw a "black smoke trail" from the engine of a British Airways Airbus A319. | John Coghlan told the BBC he saw a "black smoke trail" from the engine of a British Airways Airbus A319. |
| He said: "[It was a] safe landing and passengers evacuated by chutes on runway." | He said: "[It was a] safe landing and passengers evacuated by chutes on runway." |
| Jez Stamp, from Farnham in Surrey, who was on a plane waiting to take off to Jordan, said: "I could see smoke on the right engine. | |
| "We just saw it come to a halt and fire engines were already there waiting for it and they immediately started hosing the plane down." | "We just saw it come to a halt and fire engines were already there waiting for it and they immediately started hosing the plane down." |
| London Fire Brigade tweeted: "One crew from Heathrow fire station is assisting Heathrow Airport's fire service with an aircraft fire. | London Fire Brigade tweeted: "One crew from Heathrow fire station is assisting Heathrow Airport's fire service with an aircraft fire. |
| "We believe the fire is now out." | "We believe the fire is now out." |
| Rob Brownell, 33, saw the plane from Imperial Wharf Station in central London and told the BBC flames were "clearly visible". | |
| He said: "There was this almighty rumbling overhead - I looked up and saw the plane on fire. There were flames coming not just from the engine but lapping the wing. | |
| "My initial thought was, my God this thing is going to blow up - the wings are full of fuel so I couldn't see how there could not be an explosion." | |
| He added: "It left a black smoke trail in the sky and there was a smell of aviation fuel afterwards." | |
| According to the website planefinder.net, the plane turned over Potter's Bar and Billericay before returning to Heathrow. | |
| Captain Mark Searle, Chairman of the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said: "This was a professional job done by professional people. | |
| "As pilots we spend our whole career training to manage incidents such as this in order to avoid an incident becoming a disaster. | |
| "BALPA representatives will be assisting the pilots involved in this incident and providing whatever support they need." | |
| The airport said that 23 flights had been diverted as a result of the incident and advised travellers to contact their airlines to see if their flight has been affected. |