London, United Kingdom: A British Airways Airbus A320 carrying around 180 passengers came dangerously close to a serious accident while approaching London Heathrow Airport earlier this month, after a reported air data system failure led to a loss of airspeed information during the aircraft’s final descent. The incident, which occurred on July 6 aboard Flight BA919 from Düsseldorf, Germany, is now under investigation by the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
The aircraft was descending over east London at approximately 4,000 feet near Canary Wharf when one of its air data systems reportedly malfunctioned. Air data systems provide pilots with critical flight information including airspeed, altitude and other performance parameters essential for safely controlling the aircraft, particularly during the approach and landing phases.
According to reports first published by The Sun, the loss of air data reportedly resulted in the Airbus A320 entering an aerodynamic stall, a condition in which the wings no longer generate sufficient lift because the aircraft’s angle of attack becomes excessive. Unlike an engine failure, a stall does not mean the engines stop operating; instead, the aircraft risks losing altitude rapidly unless immediate corrective action is taken.
Reports said the first officer initially attempted to recover the aircraft before the captain intervened directly in the cockpit to regain control. A source described the recovery as particularly challenging because it occurred at low altitude during the final approach, stating that such physical intervention by a captain is highly unusual.
Several reports described the event as one of the most serious aviation near misses in the United Kingdom in recent years. According to reports, the occurrence has been recorded as a “loss of control in-flight” and described as “pilot induced.” However, the AAIB has not released any preliminary findings, and the cause of the incident, including the sequence of events leading to the reported loss of control, remains under investigation. It is therefore too early to determine whether crew actions, equipment failure, or a combination of factors contributed to the event.
In a statement, British Airways confirmed that it is cooperating with the AAIB’s investigation into the serious incident. The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in line with its standard practice, has declined to comment while the investigation remains ongoing.
The AAIB’s investigation into Flight BA919 is expected to examine aircraft systems, recorded flight data, cockpit voice recordings, maintenance history, crew actions and operational procedures before determining the cause of the incident and issuing any safety recommendations.
