BA Flight No. 11 Heathrow - Singapore

[Travailes]

Anyone know why Flight 11 turned back to Heathrow on Sunday when it was above Kazakhstan after 6 hours into the flight ? Had a friend's mother on the flight who is now landing today on a Qantas flight but says there was no reason given. Anyone hear anything ?

[x9200]

Son, why so little faith in googles?

http://www.thebasource.com/b747-400-g-b ... -heathrow/

British Airways Boeing 747-436 G-BNLN operating BA11 London Heathrow – Singapore (depart London 27th October) had just crossed the Kazakhstan border close to Uralsk when it turned back to London Heathrow due to low oil pressure on one engine. The aircraft was operating its first flight in service following a 10 day maintenance visit to Cardiff-Wales. The flight and today’s return BA12 were subsequently cancelled.

[Mi Amigo]

I wondered if they might have had Borat on board and he tried to do a parachute jump.

[Travailes]

Interesting thanks.
Wonder why they went back rather than carry on bearing in mind they were half-way and the thing was good to get them home ?
Parts too expensive in Singapore ?
The pilots get to double their duty free allowance ?

[Mi Amigo]

Looks like it was a fair bit less than half way:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/GBNLN

[Saint]

Interesting thanks.
Wonder why they went back rather than carry on bearing in mind they were half-way and the thing was good to get them home ?
Parts too expensive in Singapore ?
The pilots get to double their duty free allowance ?

BA Engineers in Singapore are only there for routine daily inspections or very minor maintenance. All major maintenance and repairs are done in UK. Low oil pressure reading could be something as simple as a fawlty instrument but also more seriously a leaking oil pipe or gasket.

[BillyB]

It was engine failure, and, like others have said, easier to repair on home soil and bring in a replacement as opposed to landing elsewhere, flying engineers out, putting passengers in hotel rooms etc.

[zzm9980]

Looks like it was a fair bit less than half way:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/GBNLN

Judging by that map, If I were BA I'd have done the same thing. I don't see anywhere I'd want to have my engine repaired east of Germany / north-west of Singapore on that map.