Runway Fire at Gatwick Caused by Co-Pilot Confusing Left and Right Hand

An incident at London Gatwick Airport in June 2024 that led to a runway fire was found to have been caused by the co-pilot confusing their left and right hand during takeoff.

According to the published report, the co-pilot of a Boeing 777 mistakenly pulled back the thrust levers with their left hand during takeoff, causing the aircraft’s brakes to overheat.

The aircraft was carrying 334 passengers and 13 crew members. While there were no injuries, Gatwick Airport was closed for approximately 50 minutes, and 23 flights were cancelled. The report states that the aircraft was departing from runway 26L at Gatwick. As the automated system gave the “V1” callout, the co-pilot began pulling the thrust levers back instead of releasing them. At the same moment, the captain gave the “rotate” command. The co-pilot realized the mistake and pushed the thrust forward but then pulled it back again, initiating a rejected takeoff (RTO). The aircraft was brought to a stop.

Due to overheating in the right main landing gear brakes, a fire broke out and was extinguished by the airport fire services (ARFF).

It was reported that the co-pilot was surprised by their error and stated they felt well and adequately rested. In a statement, British Airways said: “Safety is always our highest priority. Our pilots brought the aircraft to a safe stop.”