BA doubles safety checks on 757s

BRITISH AIRWAYS has doubled the frequency of safety checks on its fleet of 42 Boeing 757 jets after a panel fell on to a Glasgow school, writes Christian Wolmar.

An accident report into the incident at Little Hill primary school reveals that three-quarters of BA's 757s had similar problems with loose or missing rivets on the same panel above the wing.

The problem was caused by fasteners becoming loose or missing because of vibration. BA has halved the time between checks, which was two years or 4,500 flying hours. BA said: 'No blame can be attached to our maintenance schedules. They were approved by the Civil Aviation Authority and we are following the manufacturer's guidelines.'

No one was injured in the incident on 1 June, though 25 children were on the playing field where the panel landed.