Jumbo catches fire on landing

Press, 29 December 1979, Page 6

Jumbo catches fire on landing

NZPA London!' I A Pan Am Airways 747; i freighter from New York.; caught fire as it came in to!< land at London’s Heathrow !< Atrport yesterdayAn airline spokesman! i said one of the aircrafts four engines caught fire but i was extinguished within [i minutes by emergency ser-b vices. He denied that the plane n had crash-landed, as an earl- < ter report had indicated. It The crew of three dis-i embarked safely and were i unharmed, said the spokes- ; man. The freighter was taken to ' Pan Am’s base at Heathrow;! where experts were in-ii

Ivestigating the cause of the! blaze. It is not yet clear whether it started before or after the plane touched down. The aircraft was, (carrying general cargo. A British Airports Author-! ity spokesman said: "One of I the engines caught fire but the pilot brought it to a successful halt and airport services dealt with the blaze.” J Thirteen incoming flights. I most of them domestic, were diverted. Departures were i unaffected. The plane blocked the run-! way at Europe’s busiest air-; port until it could be towed] aside, and incoming flights were briefly diverted from Heathrow to other airports in England.