Fire Engulfs Jet at Manchester Airport, 55 Die in Aviation Tragedy

Manchester, England—Tragedy struck at Manchester Airport on August 22, 1985, as British Airtours Flight 28M, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft named River Orrin, caught fire upon takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 55 individuals, mostly from smoke inhalation.

At approximately 21:05 local time, the aircraft was preparing for takeoff with 131 passengers and crew on board, bound for Corfu International Airport. Moments after ignition, the plane's right engine caught fire, causing the pilots to abort the takeoff and return to the airport.

Unfortunately, the evacuation procedures were found to be inadequate, leading to significant delays in getting passengers off the plane. The intense smoke and flames rapidly filled the cabin, trapping many inside. Despite the heroic efforts of the crew and emergency responders, the disaster resulted in one of the worst aviation tragedies in British history.