British Airtours Flight 28M
A similar British Airtours Boeing 737–236 Advanced, named River Wey, wearing British Airtours' Landor Associates livery at the time of the accident.
|
|
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 August 1985, 06:12 BST |
| Summary | Fire on the ground caused by uncontained engine failure |
| Site |
Manchester Airport Manchester, England 53°20′45″N 2°17′36″W / 53.34583°N 2.29333°WCoordinates: 53°20′45″N 2°17′36″W / 53.34583°N 2.29333°W |
| Passengers | 131 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 55 (54 on site, 1 subsequently in hospital (53 passengers, 2 crew)) |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 15 (serious) |
| Survivors | 82 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737–236 Advanced |
| Aircraft name | River Orrin (formerly Goldfinch) |
| Operator | British Airtours |
| Registration | G-BGJL |
| Flight origin | Manchester Airport |
| Destination | Corfu International Airport |
 Photos of G-BGJL in its older color scheme and named Goldfinch (Airliners.net)
|
British Airtours Flight 28M was an international passenger flight, originating from Manchester International Airport's Runway 24 in Manchester, England, en route to Corfu International Airport on the Greek island of Corfu. On 22 August 1985, the route was being operated by Boeing 737–236 registered G-BGJL, when take-off from Manchester Airport was aborted due to engine failure.
The aircraft, previously named "Goldfinch", but at the time of the accident named "River Orrin", had 131 passengers and six crew on the manifest. At 06:12 BST during the takeoff roll, a loud thump was heard. An engine failure had generated a fire and a plume of black smoke ensued. Takeoff was aborted and the captain ordered the evacuation of the aircraft, with 78 of the 131 passengers escaping. 53 passengers perished along with two members of the cabin crew. Most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation.
The accident was instrumental in bringing about changes to make aircraft evacuation more effective and has been described as "a defining moment in the history of civil aviation" by the BBC. Acting on the recommendations of the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which investigated the accident, the aviation industry introduced changes to the seating layout near emergency exits, fire-resistant seat covers, floor lighting, fire-resistant wall and ceiling panels, more fire extinguishers and clearer evacuation rules.
The flight crew consisted of Captain Peter Terrington (39) and First Officer Brian Love (52), both seasoned pilots with 8,441 flight hours and 12,277 flight hours, respectively. At 06:12 BST, during the takeoff phase, the pilots heard a loud thump coming from underneath the plane. Thinking a tyre had burst, the captain ordered an abandoned takeoff and then activated the thrust reversers. The first officer, who was in control of the aircraft at the time, applied "harsh" braking for approximately five seconds. The captain, concerned about a burst tyre, instructed the first officer to use less wheel braking, which was done. Fire warnings sounded in the cockpit nine seconds after the thump was heard (about 36 seconds before the aircraft stopped). Ten seconds later, the tower controller confirmed, "right, there's a lot of fire." Twenty-five seconds after the thud was heard (about 20 seconds before the aircraft stopped), the tower controller suggested evacuating passengers to the starboard side. The tower controller activated the airport's fire alarm siren the moment he first saw smoke coming from the aircraft, but firefighters working for the airport's fire service had heard a "bang" and seen the smoke and fire for themselves, and had already initiated a response on their own.
...
Wikipedia