'We thought it was a tyre bursting, then someone shouted fire'

It's been 39-years since a catastrophic fire engulfed a plane full of holidaymakers just as it was about to take off. It was a disaster that changed the way we fly forever.

On August 22, 1985, 55 passengers tragically lost their lives on a jet departing from Manchester Airport. They were aboard the Corfu-bound British Airtours 737 when it burst into flames on the runway.

The majority of the victims perished due to inhaling toxic smoke. For those who survived, life would never be the same again. The disaster happened as the British Airtours Boeing 737, carrying 131 passengers and six crew members, was heading down the runway for take off. Travelling at 140mph, the port engine exploded, causing debris to puncture the wing and a fuel tank.

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The plane's captain managed to abort the take off and, following protocol, steered the plane off the runway towards the fire station. However, this change in direction caused the flames to rapidly spread to the rear of the aircraft, theManchester Evening News previously reported.

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The arrangement of seats around the emergency exits hindered evacuation attempts as deadly fumes quickly filled the plane and the rear escape chutes could not be deployed.

John Beardmore, one of the crash survivors, shared his harrowing experience of the terrifying events with the M.E.N back in 2015.

John, 37 at the time, boarded a plane at Manchester Airport with his wife Pamela and their two sons Simon, aged 14, and David, aged 12, looking forward to a family holiday abroad. While Pamela and the boys settled into their seats directly over the