Thirty Seconds to Impact

by Peter Burkill, Maria Burkill (Contributor)

When Peter took charge of the flight deck of the 777 and took off from Beijing airport, there was nothing to suggest that this trip would be anything other than a routine flight of the sort he had made so many times before. It was not until moments before landing that anything went wrong. Coming in to Heathrow Airport, the plane suffered inexplicable loss of power to both engines, and it was suddenly likely that the plane would plough into a built-up area outside the airport, with the loss of all lives on board. Peter tells us in graphic detail his thoughts and actions when he managed to help save the plane at the last moment thanks to a flash of inspiration that led him to change the position of the wing flaps, which appeared to gain the vehicle enough precious time to make it over the perimeter fence and land on the grass, short of the runway. For both Maria and Peter, their lives following the crash have resulted in experiences that they never would have expected to have happened. There isn't a handbook with rules to follow after a crash so the subsequent aftermath was laced with events that could have been handled better from all sides, which lead to Maria and Peter having to find strength inside them that they had never needed before. A little more than a year later, they have used these strengths to begin a new chapter in their lives; starting with leaving British Airways and celebrating a second chance to enjoy life. But there are still nights when they find themselves awake, crying about what could have happened on that fateful day.

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction, Memoir

340 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 2010

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really looked forward to reading this - both as ex-crew and as someone fascinated with 'when things go wrong' on aircraft.
Sadly I found it a disappointing and an altogether unimaginative 325 page whinge about how unsupportive BA were following the accident. This was illustrated with personal accounts of husband and wife arguments (generally written by his wife) that felt intrusive and embarrassing to read. Alternating between the Captain's perspective and that of his wife, it seemed a promising format, but the depressing 'woe is me' throughout was not even counter-balanced by the technical side, which itself was lacking in detail and therefore dull and uninspired. The narrative was repetitive and I had to force myself to keep reading. I've given it a half star for the nice cover.

[Peter Burkill · Rating 5 out of 5]

As co-author of this book, it would be inappropriate for me not to give it 5 stars!

My wife and I have written this book from the time of my crash until taking voluntary redundancy from British Airways, 18 months later. We have written it honestly and think it should appeal to a wide audience as we have been told there is a good balance between the technical explanations and the emotional affects that we endured as a family.

This is not just a book for aviation enthusiasts, but also for those readers who enjoy a true life story.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind Closed Doors

Reading this book was a revelation.

I have always had a fascination with aviation and have flown in many different aircraft with many airlines but I always choose British Airways because of what Captain Peter Burkill did during flight 38.

This book is a great read, we learn so much about what he and his family went through and how the most routine things can somehow go wrong.

[Fernando del Alamo · Rating 3 out of 5]

El 17 de enero de 2008, el vuelo BA38, un Boeing 777, tuvo un fallo de ambos motores cuando estaba a punto de aterrizar. El capitán y autor del libro sólo tenía 30 segundos antes de que impactara en el suelo para tomar las mejores decisiones posibles en las que se jugaba la vida de sus pasajeros y también su vida. Fue tratado al principio como héroe, pero después dijeron que se había quedado "helado" a los mandos ante aquella situación.
En el libro cuenta las consecuencias de lo sucedió posteriormente. Casado y con hjos pequeños, se quedó sin volar, con un sueldo considerablemente más bajo de lo que estaba habituado y con una época de estrés altísimo para él y su esposa.
Me sabe mal decirlo, y no quiero quitarle mérito, pero lo que le pasó a este hombre es lo que pasa a muchos cuando sus propias empresas les dan la espalda después de haber trabajado años para ellas. Aunque tengan razón y hayan desempeñado su trabajo de forma intachable.
Pensaba que habría más datos técnicos o detalles sobre cómo se investigaba, pero realmente, de lo que trata es de su punto de vista versus la empresa.
No lo recomiendo si eres un apasionado de la aeronáutica y esperas datos técnicos o interioridades de la vida de los pilotos. Salvo unas pocas páginas en las que explica los detalles del accidente, es lo que le pasa a una persona normal en una situación desesperada debida a un problema con su trabajo.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 2010, 'Thirty Seconds to Impact' is the story of British Airways flight 38 which crashed on the runway threshold at London Heathrow on January 17, 2008. The book, authored jointly by the Captain (Peter Burkill) and his wife (Maria Burkill), tells of the crash and its aftermath, with a strong emphasis on stain undergone by the Burkill family as a result of their treatment by BA and the press. Of course, since this tells of the events purely from the Burkill's perspective it must reflect a strong bias, and makes little attempt to represent a balanced point of view. That said, the Burkill's perspective of being pestered and unfairly judged by the seedy side of the press gives this account an edge that makes it well worth reading.

[B.J. Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting perspective of what happened behind the scenes to the pilot and family of a pilot involved in a serious but non-fatal commercial aviation crash landing. Felt like it could have been shorter and a bit less whiny, but I'm still glad that I read it. Quick read...

[Sarah at MDC · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was an interesting read of events that took place at a time when the culture at the airline was changing. During the decade leaving up to a global pandemic, BA has become an airline that cares very little for its staff, to the point where they have been treated badly and instead of being congratulated, the Captain of this flight was encouraged to hide. I’m aware the book has been taken of the market now and I know the reason why... I just hope that BA will one day value the employees that have stuck with them through hard times.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book, finally finding out the captains story in the end was better than anything else considering i was on the flight coming back from Beijing. it has a way into you that make you think about a near death experience and the effect it has on you as well as the rest of your family.

1 more thing should any of flight BA038 crew read this. thank you so, so much for landing the plane well and saving my life as well as everyone else's that was on the plane, you done the most remarkable job ever and i thank you for it. the cabin crew were very professional with the evacuation and even though i sustained injuries i recovered in about 6 weeks. thank you once again. xx

[R · Rating 2 out of 5]

My primary interest was on the aviation matters. Afraid, there isn't much beyond what is there in the documentaries. This is the aftermath of the incident; how the captain and his family got along and that sort of stuff. The comparison with the treatment of the flying crew on the Hudson ditching (USA1549) was interesting.

[Judi Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a edge of your seat book!

This is a look inside of an airplane crash where all the right things were done by the pilots with only seconds to react. It is also a look inside a huge airline, and what they got right, and wrong.