Boeing 747-400 and Boeing B777 accident near London, Uk, May 14, 1997
On May 14, 1997 at about 1:15 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Boeing 747-400 (CGAGM) and Boeing B777 (N770UA), were involved in the same accident near London (Heathrow International airport). No one was hurt; 573 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 1997 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- London, United Kingdom · Heathrow International
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 573 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Boeing 747-400 · all 747-400s on the register
- Registration
- CGAGM · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
- Aircraft 2
- Boeing B777
- Registration
- N770UA · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The factual record for the Boeing 747-400 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: retractable
- Operator: Air Canada
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 14 | |||
| Passengers | 278 |
The factual record for the Boeing B777 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: United Airlines
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 17 | |||
| Passengers | 264 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.