HC Deb 27 March 1986 vol 94 cc565-6W
Mr. Greenway

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the number of occasions during the past 10 years on which aircraft departing from Heathrow airport have suffered failure of an engine (a) whilst still on the runway between starting of roll and normal point of take-off, (b) after take-off and below a 1,000 ft altitude and (c) between, 1,000 ft and 2,500 ft altitude.

Mr. Michael Spicer

The Civil Aviation Authority, which is statutorily responsible for aviation safety, has informed me that it is not able to provide a full answer to this question for the following reasons:

  1. 1. Their records over United Kingdom operators only, except for a small number of particularly significant occurrences to foreign operated aircraft.
  2. 2. A precautionary engine shut-down with no other critical aspects (for example, fire, aircraft control problems and so on) is not a "reportable occurrence" on three and four-engined aircraft.
  3. 3. An engine problem resulting in an abandoned take-off at slow speed is not a "reportable occurrence" unless other critical aspects are involved.
  4. 4. Records do not include the precise altitude at which engine loss occurred—only the flight phase.

Given the above limitations the total number of engine losses on CAA records since 1976 is:

  1. (a) Take-off (start of roll to lift off)—33
  2. (b) Initial climb (lift off to approx 1,500 ft)—36
  3. (c) Climb (approx 1,500 ft. to cruise)—70.

Mr. Greenway

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to the number of occasions during the last 10 years on which the radar approach control at Heathrow airport has suffered a blackout failure and as to the duration of control loss on each occasion.

Mr. Michael Spicer

Details for the last 10 years are not readily extractable from the Civil Aviation Authority's records. In 1984 and 1985, however, there was a single incident of equipment failure in each year resulting in a total loss of approach radar for four minutes in both cases. In addition there were two incidents in 1985 when radar coverage was lost for a few minutes because of an interruption in electricity supply. The CAA assures me that none of these incidents imperilled the safety of aircraft under approach control at the time.

The CAA has proposed, and my Department has sanctioned, the building of a new approach control room at Heathrow.