1985 Manchester Airport disaster

British Airtours Flight 28M

The aircraft involved, a G-BGJL named River Orrin, photographed three months before the fire
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 / 53.35111; -2.28167
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 737-236 Advanced
Aircraft name	River Orrin (formerly Goldfinch)
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[1]
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 "very much a defining moment in the history of civil aviation safety."^[2] 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.