Kegworth air crash victims

Airline tragedy | Died in 1989

Forty-seven passengers who died in crash near East Midlands Airport and the M1

On Sunday, 8 January, 1989, 47 people lost their lives on a routine flight from London to Belfast which crashed near Kegworth in Leicestershire.

British Midland Flight 92 experienced problems shortly after take-off from Heathrow when the left engine malfunctioned. The plane and its 118 passengers were redirected to East Midlands Airport for an emergency landing.

As they neared the new destination, the brand new aircraft lost all power, the pilots having mistakenly switched off the right engine, and were forced to try to glide onto the runway. They would later be praised for avoiding Kegworth village but were unable to reach the airport.

The plane's tail hit the ground just before the M1, sending it over the road before crashing on the embankment on the other side.

Emergency services had been on standby at the airport and were quickly on the scene of the accident which happened at 8.26pm. Survivors were given medical treatment at the scene and taken to local hospitals.

But sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved, 39 people died at the scene and another eight in hospital later. Another 74 were seriously injured.

The village of Kegworth remembers the victims, including Patricia Irwin , and her 15-year-old son Peter , in a memorial garden opened a year after the disaster for "those who died, those who were injured and those who took part in the rescue operation". Flowers are planted in earth recovered from the crash site and a plaque bears the names of all 47 who died.

The legacy of Kegworth included a raft of improvements to aircraft safety and procedure to avoid another crash in avoidable circumstances - and to ensure that such tragic levels of fatalities and injuries were not seen again.

Full list of the Kegworth air crash victims

Helen Claire Barker , Jean Burrows , Rodney Robert Burrows , John Thomas Campbell , Karin Jacqueline Campbell , John Joseph (Sean) Campbell , Ann Elizabeth Chilvers , Brian Leslie Chilvers , Thomas Barry Copestake , John Coward , Marja Helena Desmond , Sarah Evelyn Dougherty , Alec Norman Dowling , Bernard Joseph Ferguson , Brian Ferguson , David Gerard Glackin , Matilda Taggart Gordon , Walter Gordon , David Hastings , Timothy John Hicks , Peter Charles Anthony Hynds , Patricia Anne Irwin , Daniel James Johnson , Jean Johnson , John Francis Martin Johnson , Bryan Wooleston Langlands , Frances Angelina Leonard , Ruth Elizabeth McCallion , Gwynneth McConville , Kathleen Ita McKenna , Nicola Luciano Mideo , Darren James Mitchell , Denis Moloney , Pearl Moloney , David Paul Mulholland , Anna Rose O’Donnell , Judith Ann Pattison , Richard Ramsaroop , Kathleen Teresa Sheila Ryan , Sean Luke Salters , Ann Marie Snee , Luka Berta Rita Stocker , Michael David Thompson , Koon Wong Tong , Jonathan Edwin Turner , Robert Wilson , Sarah Jane Wright .

Related tributes:
Links:
- thisisderbyshire.co.uk

Your Memories

Not forgotten in my prayers, whether lost or the surviving. Robert Bruce Reid B.E.M.(mil) — 22.12.2008

I survived and at one time or another wished i had not and had joined those that perished for times since have been sometimes unbearable.

I survived for a reason and that was to tell others that no matter what life throws at you we must fight on to the end until it is our turn to go home. At death life just begins and it's our choice where we go and i choose the place of eternal life, where peace and tranquility is in abundance at the right hand of God.

20 yrs on i wish to bless all those left behind after this tragedy and pray that you all from this day onwards be at peace and put the pain of this disaster behind you all.

God bless you all nigel baldwin — 04.01.2009

For all those who died, were injured or were involved in the rescue and aftermath (as I was) I offer a simple prayer. May we not forget those who were lost or affected by this in any way but may we also remember that life, with all of its sadness does go on and that within all the sadness we are blessed with many good things.

The Lord giveth, the lord taketh away and he took so much on that day but he gave us the strength to carry on, to look to a future albeit a different one.
The path ahead is often dim but if you look carefully there is light therein.
It's often hard to raise a smile but it's the little things that make life worthwhile.
So look for the rainbow after the rain, you are in my prayers once again.
God Bless Patricia Gibas — 05.01.2009