Chris Thompson, a survivor of the 1989 Kegworth air disaster, has described the moment he realised his feet felt like 'a bag of crisps' after the crash. The British Midland flight 92 crash killed 47 people and left wreckage strewn across the M1 motorway.
Thompson, then 33, was pulled unconscious from the mangled Boeing 737. He had been returning to Belfast after a day at the London Boat Show. The plane lost both engines and plunged towards the busy motorway. Thompson recalls the helplessness he felt as the engine spluttered and died.
After the crash, Thompson learned to walk again but struggled with flying. He required alcohol or tranquillisers to board a plane and avoided certain 'dead seats' based on his knowledge of the crash seating layout. He has since conquered most of his fears, but his hands still shake when recalling the event.
Another survivor, Alan Johnston, 62, was on the flight visiting his first grandchild. He remained calm initially, believing the flight was safe. The pilot, Captain Kevin Hunt, announced a malfunction in the right-side engine and planned to divert to East Midlands Airport.
However, passengers at the back of the plane, including Mervyn Finlay, noticed sparks and flames from the left engine, not the right. They feared the pilot had made a serious error. Finlay, a bread delivery man, had caught an earlier flight and should not have been on the plane.
