The inquiry into the crash will be led by Robin Tydeman from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch, who has over 10 years experience in the job.

Before that he spent 20 years as an RAF pilot and then flew Boeing 737s. In 1994 he moved to work in flight simulation and was involved in the development of the first simulators for the Boeing 777 - the model of plane that crashed at Heathrow yesterday.

Mr Tydeman joined the Air Accidents Investigation Branch in 1996 and has been involved in more than 50 inquiries, including a 1998 helicopter crash at a Noel Edmonds charity event in Scotland, when a boy died.