It was the cut that left residents feeling trapped - and businesses fearful for the future. But now the V2 bus - which links Atherton to Manchester, is set to return.
22.08.2023 - 16:47 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A devastating fire that took hold of a plane full of holidaymakers as it was about to take off would change the way we travel forever.
On this day in August 22, 1985, 55 passengers on a jet taking off at Manchester Airport lost their lives. They were onboard the Corfu-bound British Airtours 737 when it caught fire on the runway.
Most of the victims died from inhaling toxic smoke. And for those that survived, life would never be the same again.
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The catastrophe happened when the British Airtours Boeing 737, with 131 passengers and six crew members on board, was heading down the runway ready to take off. It was travelling at 140mph when the port engine exploded and debris punctured the wing and a fuel tank.
The plane's captain was able to abort take off and, following procedure, turned the plane off the runway towards the fire station. But the change of direction meant that the flames quickly spread to the rear of the aircraft.
The way the seats were arranged around the emergency exits impeded the attempts to evacuate the plane as deadly fumes soon spread and the rear escape chutes could not be operated.
One of the crash survivors, John Beardmore, spoke to the Manchester Evening News in 2015 to tell his own harrowing experience of the terrifying events that unfolded.
John had boarded the plane at Manchester Airport, with his wife Pamela, then 37, and their two boys Simon, 14, and David, 12, who were excited to be taking a family holiday abroad. But, as Pamela and the boys sat on one row directly over the wing and engine, and John was across the aisle with another family, he immediately felt ill at ease.
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It was the cut that left residents feeling trapped - and businesses fearful for the future. But now the V2 bus - which links Atherton to Manchester, is set to return.
Recently, the Manchester Evening News has been looking back at the lost clubbing scenes throughout Greater Manchester.
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