I’m no hero but I’m finished flying, says BA pilot who saved 170 on burning jet

A British Airways pilot hailed as a hero after his aircraft caught fire at Las Vegas, has played down his part in the drama. Chris Henkey, who was on his penultimate flight before retiring, insisted he wasn’t the only one who helped save those on the Boeing 777-200, saying: “It’s not just me. It’s the whole crew, really.” The 63-year-old, praised for his calm instructions which enabled all 170 people on board to escape, said he had never been involved in such an incident before. "Not at all,“ he said. "It’s ironic, really. Nothing like it at all.” But the veteran pilot, who was due to make a final flight to Barbados to join his daughter in their favourite holiday destination, added: "It’s safe to say I’m finished flying.“

We are evacuating on the runway. We have a fire. I repeat, we are evacuating.

Pilot Chris Henkey’s radio message

Mr Henkey, from near Reading, was reluctant to talk in detail about the incident on the runway at during take-off for London Gatwick from McCarran International airport as he has yet to be interviewed by investigators. He slammed on the brakes and steered the aircraft to safety, allowing the 157 passengers, 10 crew and the three pilots to escape using emergency slides. He was cheered by passengers as they returned to the terminal and recordings of his exchanges with the control tower during the incident showed how calmly he dealt with it. His family and friends have described him as a hero, who was always calm under pressure. His fiancee Lenka Nevolna, 40, said: "He’s a great man with a warm heart and generosity and I’m very proud of him.”

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