1985 Manchester Airport disaster
G-BGJL after the fire, the rear-tail section of the aircraft melted and collapsed, leaving the rear exit unavailable. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 August 1985, 07:13 BST |
| Summary | Fire on the ground caused by uncontained engine failure on takeoff |
| Site | Manchester Airport Manchester, England 53°21′4″N 2°16′54″W / 53.35111°N 2.28167°W |
| Aircraft | |
| G-BGJL, the accident aircraft seen about 3 months before | |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-236 Advanced |
| Aircraft name | River Orrin |
| Operator | British Airtours |
| IATA flight No. | KT328 |
| ICAO flight No. | BKT28M |
| Call sign | BEATOURS 28 MIKE |
| Registration | G-BGJL |
| Flight origin | Manchester Airport |
| Destination | Corfu International Airport |
| Occupants | 137 |
| Passengers | 131 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 55 |
| Injuries | 15 |
| Survivors | 82 |
The 1985 Manchester Airport disaster occurred when British Airtours Flight 28M (officially known as Flight 328), an international passenger flight, was en route from Manchester Airport to Corfu International Airport. It caught fire on takeoff on 22 August 1985, resulting in 55 fatalities.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737-236(A), named River Orrin, was flown by British Airtours, a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways. It had 131 passengers and six crew on the manifest. During the takeoff roll, a loud thump was heard, and takeoff was aborted. An engine failure had generated a fire and the captain ordered evacuation. The engine failure was later traced to an incorrectly repaired combustor, causing the turbine disc to shatter and puncture the wing fuel tanks. Most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, not burns; 82 people survived.
The accident was described as "a defining moment in the history of civil aviation safety." It brought about industry-wide 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.