This is Runway 24 at the International Airport in Manchester, England. On the 22nd of August 1985, a British Airtours Boeing 737 designated flight 28M was on the runway in its take off phase. It was heading for Kerkira Airport on the Greek Island of Corfu. The plane, but should been rename from “Goldfinch” to “River Orrin” had 131 passengers on board along with six crew. As the plane was taxing along, the pilot heard a bang and thinking there was a punctured tire. He followed procedure, breaking slowly and activating the thrust reversers.
Unfortunately, at later become clear that this action exacerbated the true problem, which was a fire in the number one engine. The pilot’s actions heading the plane into a prevailing wind only served to fan the flames further.
Within no time at all, the blaze was raging through the cabin, fed by fuels spilling from the port wing. The toxic smoke killed 48 of the 55 people who died in the accident with the other succumbing to the heat and flames. Seventy eight passengers and four crews managed to escape by the passenger chutes and flight deck in skate webbing all of 15 of them were seriously injured.
After the accident, an inquiry found that thermal fatigue could cause the crack in the combusted cannon at fourth engine. It was also revealed that the combustor had cracked before and that the welding to repair had not been satisfactory.
The accident also led to calls for increase safety measures. It was noted that the last passenger to escape took over five minutes to exit the aircraft but the floor lighting, an improved sitting arrangements were demanded to combat this.
Considering the number of deaths from smoke inhalation, there were also suggestions the airplane should carry smoke hoods but the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority, then decided the impractical. Another idea of installing sprinkle light misting systems was also vetoed as too expensive.
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