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August 29, 2008 7:57:09 CDT

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Heathrow Pilot Hailed as Hero

Posted Jan 18, 08 5:47 AM CST in World 

(Newser) – When all power on a British Airways flight suddenly failed 400 feet above ground as it headed into Heathrow Airport yesterday, pilot Peter Burkill had to muster all his skills gained in decades of flying to save the lives of hundreds of people—not only passengers, but also those in the cars and houses the plane was barrelling toward, the Telegraph reports.

The catastrophe happened so fast there was not even time to warn passengers to adopt the emergency brace position. Burkill managed to "belly-flop" the plane into a grassy clearing just 20 feet from a busy road. No one was killed, and passengers suffered only minor injuries. He "deserves a medal as big as a frying pan," said an airport worker.

Sources Daily Telegraph (UK), Times (UK)

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Great Britain  • plane crash  • pilot  • British Airways  • Heathrow Airport  • hero


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