Engines faulted in crash landing

LONDON – The engines on a British Airways plane that crash-landed at London’s Heathrow airport failed to respond to a demand for increased thrust about two miles before it reached the runway, a preliminary accident report said Friday.

Using flight recorder information, investigators will focus on what might have caused the engine problem on British Airways Flight 038 from Beijing to London, according to the report from Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

The British Airways Boeing 777 made a crunching touchdown short of the runway on Thursday, ripping off the plane’s landing gear and severely damaging the two engines and wings. Nineteen injuries were reported among the 152 people aboard.

The captain of the jet paid tribute to his co-pilot, saying his actions to safely bring down the stricken plane were remarkable.