A British Airways flight headed for London narrowly avoided disaster on Wednesday night when smoke was detected in the cockpit, forcing pilots to make an emergency return to Cape Town International Airport.
What happened to British Airways Flight BA58?
The incident involved Flight BA58, which had taken off from Cape Town at 19:16 SAST. Roughly two hours into the journey, while flying over Namibia, the flight crew detected smoke inside the cockpit — a serious safety risk.
As per standard safety procedures, the pilots declared an emergency and immediately turned the plane around.
The aircraft, an Airbus A350-1000 with registration number G-XWBG, landed back at Cape Town International Airport at approximately 22:00. Upon landing, the pilots executed a full shutdown of the engines and fuel supply to prevent any further hazards.
Emergency services were already on standby, prepared for any potential escalation.
Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Department confirmed their involvement in what was termed a “phase 2 emergency response.”
Four fire engines were deployed as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, all 277 passengers and crew remained unharmed. After landing, the aircraft was escorted to a safe parking area where passengers waited aboard until it was safe to disembark.
While no official report confirmed a fuel leak, some social media users claimed that the emergency may have been related to a possible leak, suggesting that even the nearby N2 highway had been temporarily closed as a safety precaution.
These claims have not been verified by airport authorities or British Airways.
What are the latest updates to Flight BA58?
British Airways has since rescheduled the flight, and according to flight tracking information, Flight BA58 is now expected to depart Cape Town International Airport on Thursday, 17 April 2025, at 18:55 SAST.
It is set to arrive at London Heathrow Airport at 05:25 BST (06:25 SAST) on Friday, 18 April 2025.
The affected aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000, is reportedly still being assessed.
No additional details have been released about the cause of the smoke, and the airline has not confirmed whether this specific aircraft will operate the rescheduled flight.
