The captain of a British Airways jet that was forced to abandon its takeoff from Las Vegas after an engine burst into flames is a veteran pilot who was due to retire next week.

British Airways fire: 'We saw the smoke. The smell was bitter. It was time to panic' Read more

The pilot – identified by the Guardian as Chris Henkey, 63, from near Reading, Berkshire – was applauded by passengers for averting a potential disaster on the stricken Boeing 777-200 at McCarran international airport.

The crew of BA flight 2276, bound for London Gatwick, were forced to abandon the takeoff part-way down the runway when one of the two engines caught fire. Henkey, who has been a pilot for 42 years, can be heard issuing a mayday call that was captured in dramatic audio recordings. After the plane had come to a stop, he ordered the evacuation of the 157 passengers and 13 crew.

Guardian reporter Jacob Steinberg, who was on board the flight, said “all the colour had drained” from Henkey’s face when he told passengers later that a “catastrophic failure of the engine” had caused the incident.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Veteran BA pilot Chris Henkey ordered the successful evacuation of BA flight 2276. Photograph: Facebook

Members of the public at the airport shared vivid images on social media of flames bursting from the fuselage and a huge plume of smoke billowing into the sky.

The fire, which started in the left-side, General Electric-manufactured engine – was swiftly put out by about 50 firefighters. The US National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the incident.



Henkey, who graduated from the College of Air Training, the now-closed facility once used to train BA pilots, along with two senior first officers, delivered a “textbook response”, according to aviation experts.



His ex-wife Marnie, who is a former cabin crew member and with whom he has a daughter, said she was greatly relieved her former partner and the rest of the crew were safe.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Audio of mayday call issued by the flight crew of BA2276

“He is safe and happy,” she told the Guardian. “I’ve had some messages from him. He did a bloody good job.” Told that Henkey was being described as a hero, she said: “He will always be that in my eyes.”

She confirmed that Henkey’s voice could be heard in the mayday call, in which air traffic control is told an emergency evacuation was necessary. “I’m just so so pleased he and the crew are OK,” she said. “I must admit it was strange to hear the mayday call played on the radio.”

Henkey’s daughter, Charley, 26, told the Reading Chronicle that he was due to retire next week and join her in the Bahamas where she is on holiday. “I was just heading out to dinner with my best friend when I got a text from Dad saying there had been a massive explosion on the plane but that he was OK,” she said. “I think the most emotional part is that I am just so proud of him.”

The flight crew first reported a problem to air traffic control shortly after the plane – a 275-seat B777-200 – had begun its takeoff procedures: “Speedbird 2276 heavy stopping.”



Fifteen seconds later one of the pilots says: “Speedbird Mayday Mayday. Speedbird 2276 request fire services.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Firefighters enter the BA plane that caught fire at McCarran international airport in Las Vegas. Photograph: John Locher/AP

Air traffic control responds: “Speedbird 2276, heavy fire services on the way.”

About 30 seconds later, one of the pilots says: “Speedbird 2276 heavy, we are evacuating on the runway. We have a fire, repeat, we are evacuating.”

The crew brought the plane, which had been gathering speed, to a stop before it reached the end of the runway. Passengers were evacuated within minutes, and returned to the terminal while firefighters tackled the blaze.

Steinberg, a football and tennis writer for the Guardian, said: “There was applause when the pilot emerged and spoke to everyone. He said he had been flying for years and had never seen anything like that.



“He was speaking to a few passengers later and all the colour had drained from his face. We shook his hand and thanked him. There were not enough words in the world for us to express our gratitude.”

About 14 people were taken to Sunrise hospital in Las Vegas to be treated for minor injuries, including cuts and bruises, most a result of sliding down the inflatable chutes to escape, but have all since been released.



Other passengers from the flight were taken to the Orleans hotel, near the Las Vegas strip, and alternative flights were being arranged.

McCarran airport – the ninth busiest in the US with nearly 43 million passengers passing through last year – said the first report of problems with the plane was received at 4.13pm local time. The fire was extinguished and all passengers evacuated by 4.18pm.

Reached by telephone later, Henkey declined to comment on the successful operation over which he and the crew presided.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Smoke billows from the blazing engine after the aircraft was brought to a halt. Photograph: @Bradley_Hampton/Twitter

Henkey, who lives with his partner Lenka Nevolna in the parish of Padworth, is an active supporter of children’s rugby charity Wooden Spoon, and was once a publican at the Hatch Gate Inn in Burghfield. Jacqueline Wood, a friend and neighbour, said: “I’ve known him for a while, we’re good friends. He is a lovely guy and we’re really very proud. We were very shocked. We knew he was coming back from Vegas, I saw it and thought ‘I hope it’s not Chris’.”

Jim McAuslan, the general secretary of the British Airline Pilots’ Association, praised the captain and crew. “Pilots are trained to prepare for things not going to plan throughout every single flight, so that they are able to make split-second decisions and keep passengers safe. A pilot could go through their whole career without dealing with an incident like this but if it happens all the training and time in the simulator pays off.

“While we await a meticulous investigation to help us understand this fire and prevent it happening again, all pilots will want to recognise the professional way the pilots and crew dealt with this emergency situation.”

Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) To give you an idea of what the fire was like (that's my mate Jez, who just had a knee reconstruction, on the run). pic.twitter.com/snpHGFyxIC

In the wake of the blaze, the FAA ordered all inbound air traffic from several other airports to be held at their points of origin, including San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque, New Mexico.



A spokeswoman for British Airways confirmed the captain had 42 years’ flying experience but declined to comment further on the pilot. The two senior first officers have flown with British Airways for 18 years and 10 years respectively.

“The safety of our customers and crew are always our top priorities, and all of our other flights are continuing to operate as normal,” a statement from the airline said.

Boeing said it was “aware of the incident at McCarran airport in Las Vegas”, adding: “Our teams are currently gathering more information.”

An airport spokeswoman said: “All passengers were evacuated quickly and safely and taken by bus to the terminal. We cannot express enough gratitude to the emergency response crews, as well as the British Airways crew.”