An aborted take-off by a British Airways flight at Gatwick Airport was caused by a co-pilot confusing his left with his right, sparking a brake fire and grounding the aircraft, according to aviation safety investigators.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) concluded that the co-pilot inadvertently pulled a lever to the left when the correct action was to move it to the right, leading to a drop in engine thrust just as the captain commanded acceleration.
Although the aircraft briefly sped up again, the take-off was abandoned, and the aircraft safely halted on the runway.
Firefighters had to intervene to extinguish a blaze that had ignited on the right side of the landing gear.
The incident involved a Boeing 777 carrying 334 passengers and 13 crew members en route to Vancouver. The mishap led to the runway being closed for nearly an hour and the cancellation of 23 flights.
According to the AAIB, the co-pilot, despite having extensive flight experience, was unable to explain the mistake and expressed shock over the mishap.
There were no distractions or signs of fatigue, and the airline described the flight preparations that day as routine.
British Airways had recently circulated a safety memo emphasising careful decision-making and situational awareness during cockpit operations.
Following the incident, the airline added reminders about control selection to its pre-flight briefing materials and simulator training sessions.
Gatwick Airport declined to comment on the matter.