“In the airport’s Garden of Remembrance, an epitaph on the permanent memorial to the victims reads, “their lives were not lost in vain.” Those words reflect the fact that every passenger who passes through Manchester airport – and any other airport around the world – is safer, today, as a result of the lessons learned from that day’s tragic events.”
So says Manchester airport’s managing director, Chris Woodroofe, 40 years on from the disaster that cost the lives of 53 passengers and two cabin crew.
At 6.12am on 22 August 1985, a Boeing 737 in the colours of British Airways’ charter subsidiary, British Airtours, accelerated along the runway at Manchester airport, destination Corfu. Two pilots, four cabin crew and 131 passengers were on board.
Thirty-six seconds later, at a speed of 144mph, the twin jet was still on the runway as the left engine suffered an uncontained failure. Metal from the engine punctured a wing fuel tank access panel and a fire began.
The crew, having heard a thud, believed a bird strike or tyre burst was responsible. As they turned off the runway, air traffic controllers confirmed the fire. The captain ordered an evacuation on the right-hand side of the aircraft.
But as the plane came to a halt, smoke and fire spread into the cabin.
“The aft cabin was suddenly filled with thick black smoke which induced panic amongst passengers in that area, with a consequent rapid forward movement down the aisle,” the investigation into the tragedy found.
“Many passengers stumbled and collapsed in the aisle, forcing others to go over the seat-backs towards the centre cabin area, which was clear up until the time the right overwing exit was opened.
“A passenger from the front row of seats looked back as he waited to exit the aircraft, and was aware of a mass of people tangled together and struggling in the centre section, apparently incapable of moving forward. He stated “people were howling and screaming”.”
In the ensuing chaos, only 83 of the passengers and crew made it out alive. One initial survivor died six days later, taking the death toll to 55 – most of them killed by a mix of poisonous…
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