What REALLY happens in a plane in an emergency? Flight safety expert reveals what the pilot of the BA plane that burst into flames in Las Vegas would have been thinking and doing as the drama unfolded

Pilot Chris Henkey has been hailed a hero after his calm and swift actions saved the lives of 157 passengers when his plane burst into flames on a Las Vegas runway on Tuesday.

But what was actually happening in the cockpit during that emergency?

Former pilot Stephen Landells, who works as flight safety specialist for the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), tells MailOnline Travel step by step what would actually have been happening in the cockpit, what the pilots would have been thinking and how other emergency situations are dealt with.

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Close up images of British Airways Flight 2276 that caught fire on Tuesday at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport seem to show how the engine exploded on one side before belching fire towards the cabin

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Passengers stopped to collect their bags before getting off, blocking the aisles and delaying the evacuation - this causes a great deal of worry for former pilot and flight safety specialist Stephen Landells

Mr Henkey, 63, spoke of hearing a 'loud bang' and feeling the aircraft lurch to the left as he accelerated down the runway at McCarran Airport.

The pilot - who had never had a serious incident in a career which spanned more than four decades - slammed on the brakes, bringing the 350-tonne plane to a halt in just nine seconds.

And Mr Landells, who was an airline pilot for 27 years, says that despite the seriousness of the fire that broke out in the engine, the cockpit would have been 'a quiet one'.

'The critical phases for the pilots on a plane are the take-off and landing,' he said.

'Prior to take-off, the pilots run through their safety brief. They talk about exactly what they will do for all the different scenarios, they both know their roles.

'The cockpit is a quiet one on take-off - the pilots are always thinking, "is it safe", "is it safe", and at certain points their decision-making changes.

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While the outer side of the engine appears virtually unharmed, then inside seems to have been torn open, with the metal bent outwards

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The Boeing 777-200 was forced to abort its takeoff when its port engine caught fire forcing the pilot to order the emergency evacuation

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There is also a clear line of damage between the engine and the fuselage which seems to suggest that fire and debris was thrown from the inner edge of the engine and into the plane

A PILOT REVEALS WHY SOMEONE WITH NO FLYING EXPERIENCE COULD NEVER LAND A PLANE

'The scenario most people envision is the one where, droning along at cruise altitude, the crew suddenly falls ill, and only a brave passenger can save the day. 

'He’ll strap himself in, and with the smooth coaching of an unseen voice over the radio, try to bring her down. 

'For somebody without any knowledge or training, the chance of success in this scenario is zero. 

'This person would have to be talked from 35,000 feet all the way to the point where an automatic approach could commence, complete with any number of turns, descents, decelerations, and configuration changes (appropriately setting the flaps, slats, and landing gear). 

'I reckon that would be about as easy as dictating organ-transplant surgery over the telephone to somebody who has never held a scalpel.'

Airline pilot, author and blogger Patrick Smith on the skills needed to land a plane. Taken from his book Cockpit Confidential.

Mr Landells says that when the plane gets to 80 knots (around 90 miles per hour), the captain will only stop the plane when a matter is deemed serious enough.

This is because travelling at such speed make an emergency stop very dangerous as huge amounts of pressure is exerted on the brakes and tyres. 

The BA flight scheduled for London Gatwick out of Las Vegas had hit this speed when Mr Henkey slammed on the brakes and brought the 350-tonne aircraft to a stop.

A flashing red warning light will have alerted the pilot to the fire in the engine, and there would have also been an 'audio warning horn.'

It's likely that these warnings alone would have been enough to bring about an aborted take-off, said Mr Landells.

Also, Air traffic control very probably radioed through that a fire had erupted.

Mr Landells added: 'If the decision is taken to stop the plane after it has reached 80 knots, it will trigger the 'reject take-off' manoeuvre.

'The pilots will have done loads of these in simulators, but it is unlikely they will have ever had to do this on the runway.

'All the time the two pilots will be talking through the procedure, keeping calm and putting into practice all the training they were given and all the skills they have.' 

Once the aircraft has come to a standstill, the next decision the pilots have to take is whether to taxi to the stand, or order an immediate evacuation.

At Las Vegas, the pilots would have taken to the tannoy to say 'evacuate, evacuate,' which would then have instructed the cabin crew to go through the necessary procedure.

A call in to Air Traffic control would have alerted them to the 'Mayday' situation, with emergency vehicles dispatched to assist. 

In the interaction with ATC, the pilots referred to the aircraft as 'speedbird.' This is the name used for British Airways planes. 

'During an emergency situation, the pilots and the crew are making high-pressure decisions, and these kind of decisions are rarely needed to be taken,' added Mr Landells.

'There is total teamwork between all the staff.' 

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Pilot Chris Henkey, 63 (left), was hailed a hero for stopping the plane in just nine seconds before calmly radioing for help

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BA has officially blamed the accident on a 'technical fault', but aviation experts said images showing the General Electric GE90 engine has been badly damaged on one side suggested there had been an 'uncontrolled explosion'

As passengers rushed off the plane during Tuesday's emergency, many were seen leaving with their hand luggage, something that causes a great deal of worry for Mr Landells.

He said: 'There needs to be an education from this incident, that passengers were reaching into the lockers and grabbing there luggage is worrying and shocking.

'They are risking their lives, as well as the lives of others. This needs to be addressed and steps should be taken.' 

Mr Landells told MailOnline that very few emergencies would require this 'immediate' action, highlighting that along with a fire, tyre issues and depressurization would however.

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The Boeing 777 jet was departing from McCarran International Airport bound for Gatwick in the UK around midday on Tuesday when there was a 'loud explosion' as it reached 90mph on takeoff

For an emergency in the air for example, be it medical or for a disturbance on board, the pilots would contact Air Traffic Control on the ground, talk them through the situation, and plan for the consequences.

A PAN request - an urgent call but one that doesn't put the plane in any danger, is given when there is a medical issue on board.

The plane is then cleared for priority landing at a designated airport.

A Mayday call is given when the situation is urgent and requires immediate diversion. This would see the plane given priority landing, as well as see emergency services scrambled to the runway.

Summing up the BA plane fire, Mr Landells added: 'What strikes me is that the pilots and crew reacted just as they should have, and put all their training into perfect practice.

'It really was textbook.' 

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This picture was posted on Twitter of investigators examining the scene after the fire. The section of the plane under the wing has been completely destroyed in an apparent explosion