wrote:

Fearing that he was about to lose all four engines, he altered the
controls of the Boeing 747 to prepare it for gliding. As the aircraft
descended over Croydon, the female co-pilot told the air traffic
controller: "We're just not sure we're gonna get enough power to
land."


Fair enough. You're supposed to pick the nearest airport capable of handling the
aircraft and hope for the best.

The captain was forced to make a series of sharp "S" turns to lose
height as he approached Heathrow.

Now, wait a minute. If you're are doing S turns to lose altitude, power is not
the issue here. While the 747 glides like a tank, it still glides.