An initial report into the crash-landing of a passenger jet at Heathrow Airport yesterday says the two engines on aircraft twice failed to respond to demands for more thrust as the aircraft was coming in to land.
The failure happened as the Boeing 777 was just 600ft up and only two miles from touchdown.
The report said the plane then descended rapidly and struck the ground 1,000ft short of the paved runway surface, just inside the airfield boundary fence.
Captain Peter Burkill was praised for his professionalism after all 136 passengers and 16 crew survived the landing in a field at the airport.
The captain himself paid tribute to the professionalism of his crew, in particular his co-pilot, John Coward, who was at the controls of the airliner when it crash landed.
As a result of yesterday's incident, there are delays of up to an hour on flights between Ireland and the London airport.
The British Airport Authority, which runs Heathrow airport, said it was important that intending passengers contact their airlines regarding the status of their flight.
