Heathrow jet crash victims sue for trauma

Some of those on board claim they now have a fear of flying and hearing problems. They are also angry that they were left beside the plane for up to 20 minutes despite fears it could explode.

An investigation by the Standard shows how British Airways has begun a huge damage limitation exercise in the wake of the incident on flight 038 from Beijing on 17 January.

The airline's chief executive Willie Walsh has phoned passengers directly offering support and many have been offered a free 45-minute flight above London to help them overcome any future fear of flying.

They have also been phoned every two or three days by BA staff asking if they want free counselling.

Sally Moore, a personal injury lawyer at Leigh Day & Co, said she had already received inquiries from passengers and expected more in the coming weeks. "These passengers have suffered a near-death experience and could be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder," Ms Moore said. Passengers are limited to £85,000 each for mental trauma, but sums will be much higher if BA is found to be at fault. There were 136 passengers on flight 038.

The Boeing 777's engines did not produce the necessary thrust to reach the front of the runway as it came into land. The plane struck the ground and came to a halt a few hundred yards later. One passenger was injured and eight received minor injuries as they got off the plane on emergency slides. Sales manager Lukasz Pilarczyk, 26, said: "I fear I will never fly again. I can't imagine a time when I can get back in a plane. After we evacuated, we were around 50 metres
from the plane for about 15 minutes. I thought that if the plane exploded we would all die."

Dr Jeroen Ensink, 33, a researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Disease, said he has been bombarded with calls from BA, including one from Mr Walsh. Dr Ensink is not considering legal action and supports BA's handling of the aftermath of the landing.

The Civil Aviation Authority said there were no specific guidelines about how far and how quickly passengers should be moved away from an aircraft.

A BA spokeswoman said today: "We are in touch with each passenger individually and we are discussing their needs on a one-to-one basis."