Från en bekant som arbetar på AAIB
Just a note on the batteries. The one in the forward avionics bay (close to nose gear) is for most of the stuff, initial switch on etc. The rear is for APU start and navigation lights. The rear one is just behind the wings, so a long way from the burn through area.
As stated, because LHR rescue and fire fighting is split into West and East stations, any response effectively closes the West or East end of the airport, so both runways. The response time of 120 seconds is quite hard to achieve if you have fire stations in the middle of the airport so it is better to be closer to the thresholds.
Time to reopen the airport involves the return of fire vehicles to base after rewatering, and possibly refilling with foaming agent; checking that the fire fighters are fit and that their breathing apparatus is refilled; checking that nobody in airfield ops or ATC has been traumatised and then off you go again.
As a point of reference, it used to be the case that LGW was not to be used as a diversion airport for LHR. I will have to check if this is still the case. If it is then either the rule needs to be changed or BA should be kicked.
Och från en annan bekant som är jumbo pilot på BA:
We're told that LHR can continue functioning with 1 response in progress, otherwise it would close everytime someone declared a pan/emergency. Yesterday there was a PIA on a mayday and a Virgin with a hydraulic problem which closed a runway all both being dealt with when it happened. The 787 incident alone was not the cause of the closure.
Just a note on the batteries. The one in the forward avionics bay (close to nose gear) is for most of the stuff, initial switch on etc. The rear is for APU start and navigation lights. The rear one is just behind the wings, so a long way from the burn through area.
As stated, because LHR rescue and fire fighting is split into West and East stations, any response effectively closes the West or East end of the airport, so both runways. The response time of 120 seconds is quite hard to achieve if you have fire stations in the middle of the airport so it is better to be closer to the thresholds.
Time to reopen the airport involves the return of fire vehicles to base after rewatering, and possibly refilling with foaming agent; checking that the fire fighters are fit and that their breathing apparatus is refilled; checking that nobody in airfield ops or ATC has been traumatised and then off you go again.
As a point of reference, it used to be the case that LGW was not to be used as a diversion airport for LHR. I will have to check if this is still the case. If it is then either the rule needs to be changed or BA should be kicked.
Och från en annan bekant som är jumbo pilot på BA:
We're told that LHR can continue functioning with 1 response in progress, otherwise it would close everytime someone declared a pan/emergency. Yesterday there was a PIA on a mayday and a Virgin with a hydraulic problem which closed a runway all both being dealt with when it happened. The 787 incident alone was not the cause of the closure.