Originally published in the Fall 2026 issue of Jetstream Magazine.

It’s August 22, 1985. A British Airtours 737-200 lines up on Runway 24 at Manchester Airport, and 131 passengers are about to start a late summer holiday to Corfu. The engines spool up, takeoff thrust is set, and the aircraft accelerates down the runway. Seconds later, a loud thump interrupts the departure. The pilots bring the plane to a stop. Yet 55 people will never leave it alive.

British Airtours Flight 328 was operated by a Boeing 737-236 named River Orrin, registered G-BGJL. Six crew members were aboard alongside the passengers. For the flight crew, the first sign of trouble sounded like a burst tire. What had actually happened was far more dangerous.

Engine Trouble

During the takeoff roll, a section of the No. 9 combustor can broke free inside the left engine. The engine failed without containing the debris, and a fragment struck an access panel beneath the left wing’s fuel tank. The panel fractured, fuel poured out, and a large fire developed behind the engine.

The captain ordered a rejected takeoff after hearing the thump. As the aircraft slowed, the fire warning sounded. Air traffic control confirmed that there was a substantial fire, and the crew decided to evacuate passengers on the right side of the aircraft, away from the flames.

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