Overview
- Flight BA919 from Düsseldorf encountered an Air Data Reference system failure that triggered repeated stall warnings during its approach to Heathrow on July 6, prompting a PAN PAN, an aborted landing and a later upgrade to MAYDAY before the jet landed safely.
- Investigators say the sensor fault led the aircraft’s computers to revert from Normal Law to Alternate Law, a mode that reduces automatic protections and places heavier manual flying demands on pilots.
- Multiple media reports claim the captain physically intervened and took control from the first officer during the recovery, but those accounts come from unnamed sources and have not been confirmed by the AAIB.
- The AAIB has formally classified the event as a Loss of Control In‑Flight serious incident and is examining flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder files, system fault logs and crew actions with British Airways’ cooperation.
- Safety outcomes could include changes to training, cockpit procedures and maintenance checks for air‑data systems, and investigators will also assess reported claims about crew welfare such as the captain’s reported stress leave that remain unverified.