Heavy machine transport company, Abnormal Loads Engineering (ALE) has moved a stricken jumbo from its resting place.
British Airways contacted ALE to recover the Boeing 777 aircraft from the southern runway to the airline’s base at Hatton Cross following the crash-landing of flight BA038 at London’s Heathrow airport.
The aircraft belly-flopped at Heathrow Airport, destroying the undercarriage and causing severe structural damage. Fortunately, all 136 passengers and 16 crew escaped from the flight with only minor injuries.
BA’s aircraft recovery team prepared the 209ft plane for the move and ALE transported their specialist equipment to Heathrow airport during Saturday 19th January. On Sunday morning ALE assembled the Self Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMT) to move the 200 t aircraft.
The wreckage was then recovered to the British Airways base at Hatton Cross using an eight axle SPMT positioned under the rear of the aircraft and six-axle SPMT positioned under each of the engines. Next, the aircraft was raised clear of the specialist aircraft jacks using the transporters integral hydraulic system. The plane was secured and after making a 30 degree turn to line up with the runway, commenced the half kilometer journey towards the hangers. All three transporters were linked via a data cable and were electronically controlled by a single operator. Once the move was completed the aircraft was again turned, this time through 135 degrees, using the transporters and moved to its final position to allow the Air Accident Investigation Branch to carry out further investigations to establish the cause of the accident.
Based in Staffordshire, UK, ALE have experience of moving unusual loads throughout the world. Last year they installed the heavy plant into Dubai’s new Jebel Ali power station, with a 40 t steam turbine being lifted to a height of around 13 meters.
Follow us on
