Fire on the Runway: The Manchester Airport Disaster and the tragedy of British Airtours flight 28M

On the 22nd of August 1985, a Boeing 737 packed with holiday travelers suffered a catastrophic engine failure as it sped down the runway in Manchester, England, prompting the pilots to reject the takeoff. But by the time the plane pulled safely off the runway and rolled to a stop, a massive curtain of flame was already engulfing the rear fuselage, pouring forth from a ruptured fuel tank to assault the passenger cabin with unprecedented ferocity. As smoke and fire burst into the airplane, the passengers made a mad rush for the exits, only to find themselves tangled together, fighting through packed crowds while enveloped in toxic fumes. Dozens perished amid the panic, collapsing in their seats, in the exits, and in the aisle, even as firefighters struggled to pull unconscious victims from the burning plane. By the time it was over, 55 people were dead aboard a plane that never even got off the ground. <a href="https://admiralcloudberg.medium.com/fire-on-the-runway-the-manchester-airport-disaster-and-the-tragedy-of-british-airtours-flight-28m-0a2054e27fff">Read More</a>