The 1985 Manchester Airport disaster, which killed 55 people, led to significant safety changes on commercial jets that still protect passengers today.
British Airtours Flight 28M was travelling from Manchester Airport to Corfu International Airport in Greece 41 years ago on Saturday, August 22. The airline, a subsidiary of British Airways, was carrying 131 passengers and six crew to the Greek island when a loud thump was heard during takeoff.
Takeoff was aborted after an engine failure generated a fire, and the captain ordered an evacuation. Most of the 55 people who died succumbed to smoke inhalation and toxic fumes released by burning cabin materials rather than burns.
Survivors describe terror
Passengers spoke about their horror as the plane became engulfed in "thick black smoke," fearing they were "going to die" after disaster struck in a matter of seconds. The incident became uncontrollable within seconds, according to survivors.
Sylvia Chappell told an ITV News documentary: "All this black smoke was coming through from the left-hand side, and people were screaming, and the plane wing was burning. I thought: 'I'm going to die here.'"
She added: "The smoke was terrible. There were like little flames in it, and then people panicking. I was suffocating. I was dying. I couldn't go down the aisle because there were too many people."
Fellow survivor Charles Hickson told the documentary: "We were shuffling forward in the plane but we weren't getting out. It was only minutes we were on that plane but a lot happened. Two or three gulps of that and you were in trouble, unconscious."
Safety improvements introduced
The disaster was described as "a defining moment in the history of civil aviation safety." It exposed serious flaws in evacuation procedures, cabin design, and crew training. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) issued 31 safety recommendations.
Some of the safety improvements taken on by manufacturers and airlines are immediately visible today. All planes now carry emergency floor-level lighting, ensuring passengers can follow illuminated paths to exits even when smoke obscures overhead signs.
Exit corridors and plane aisles have also been widened. Flammable foams and fabrics, which contributed to passengers breathing in toxic materials, were replaced by fire-resistant seat materials.
Legacy in crew training
The tragedy also had a huge impact on crew training. For anyone who has ever sat by an emergency exit and been asked by cabin crew if they are OK operating the door in case of emergency, the 1985 Manchester Airport disaster is the reason for that question. There are also exit row briefings and safety cards ensuring how passengers act during evacuations.
The initial incident was sparked by a component inside the left engine called a combustor can exploding during takeoff.
