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63-474: The Kegworth air disaster occurred when British Midland Airways Flight 092 , a Boeing 737-400 , crashed onto the motorway embankment between the M1 motorway and A453 road near Kegworth , Leicestershire , England, while attempting to make an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport on 8 January 1989. The aircraft was on a scheduled flight from London Heathrow Airport to Belfast International Airport . When

126-401: A blade detached from the fan of the port (left) engine. The pilots did not know the source of the problem, but heard a pounding noise, accompanied by severe vibrations. Smoke poured into the cabin through the ventilation system, and passengers became aware of the smell of burning. Several passengers sitting near the rear of the plane noticed smoke and sparks coming from the left engine. The flight

189-473: A documentary in 1999 of the Kegworth crash. Flight 092 was also featured in an episode of Seconds From Disaster called "Motorway Plane Crash". It was also featured in the 2011 Discovery Channel documentary Aircrash Confidential . In 2015, the incident was featured in the episode "Choosing Sides" or "M1 Plane Crash" of the documentary television series Mayday , or Air Crash Investigation , as it

252-418: A fan blade broke in the left engine, smoke was drawn into the cabin through the air conditioning system. The pilots believed this indicated a fault in the right engine, since earlier models of the 737 ventilated the cabin from the right, and they were unaware that the 737-400 used a different system. The pilots retarded the right thrust lever and the symptoms of smoke and vibration cleared, leading them to believe

315-416: A flight augmentation system that adjusts the stabilizer automatically at low speed, low weight, aft center of gravity and high thrust with autopilot disengaged. Most frequently it can be observed during takeoffs and go-arounds. The system relies on most of the same hardware and software used in autopilot mode. STS is not fail-safe in that it uses only one of each sensor types required for its functionality and

378-419: A fracture caused by aerodynamic flutter . Those responsible for the pre-certification test programme and the issue of a Certificate of Airworthiness 'acted contrary' to the wealth of literature that was available on this subject. This knowledge made clear that static ground testing to discover the presence of flutter was unreliable and the fan blade had to be subjected to the full flight envelope to be certain of

441-650: A loan by the Canadian government for CA$ 3.4 million (2018) which is equivalent to CA$ 4.1 Million (or US$ 2.9 million) in 2024. The converted 737 FireLiner can carry 4,000 US gal (15 m ) with a flow rate of 3,000 US gal (11 m )/s, and retains 66 seats. The first was completed in 2018 and deployed to Australia. The prototype of the -300 rolled out of the Renton plant on January 17, 1984, and first flew on February 24, 1984. After it received its flight certification on November 14, 1984, USAir received

504-531: A reduction in power and an increase in vibration. The autothrottle attempted to compensate for this by increasing the fuel flow to the engine. The damaged engine was unable to burn all the additional fuel, with much of it igniting in the exhaust flow, creating a large trail of flame behind the engine. The official report into the disaster made 31 safety recommendations. Evaluation of the injuries sustained led to considerable improvements in aircraft safety and emergency instructions for passengers. These were derived from

567-600: A research programme funded by the CAA and carried out by teams from the University of Nottingham and Hawtal Whiting Structures (an engineering consultancy company). The study between medical staff and engineers used analytical "occupant kinematics" techniques to assess the effectiveness of the brace position . A new notice to operators revising the brace position was issued in October 1993. The research into this accident led to

630-403: A single computer. Such a single-channel design is not common for augmentation systems that have full control of the stabilizer. This design was considered acceptable because of the ability for the aft and forward column cutout switches as well as center console cutout switches to constrain its malfunction. The limited flight envelope protections on the 737 Next Generation series, as well as MCAS on

693-412: A strengthened wing spar . The prototype rolled out on January 26, 1988, and flew for the first time on February 19, 1988. The aircraft entered service on September 15, 1988, with launch customer Piedmont Airlines (25 aircraft ordered). The last two Boeing 737-400s, the last Boeing 737 Classics, were delivered to CSA Czech Airlines on February 28, 2000. The 737-400 was replaced by the 737-800 in

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756-598: Is always available. A release of manual override allows A/T to regain control, and the throttle will go back to the A/T commanded position except for two modes (Boeing type aircraft): IDLE and THR HLD. In these two modes, the throttle will remain at the manual commanded position. A primitive autothrottle was first fitted to later versions of the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter late in World War II . However,

819-454: Is finished. During climb , the A/T maintains constant climb power; in descent , the A/T reduces the setting to the idle position, and so on. When the A/T is working in thrust mode, speed is controlled by pitch (or the control column), and not by the A/T. A radar altimeter feeds data to the autothrottle in this mode. On Boeing -type aircraft, A/T can be used in all flight phases from takeoff , climb , cruise , descent , approach , all

882-724: Is known in the UK. In 2024, the incident was also featured on the "M1 Plane Crash" episode of Terror at 30,000 Feet on Channel 5 . Boeing 737-400 The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes , the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft. Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in February 1984 and entered service that December. The stretched 737-400 first flew in February 1988 and entered service later that year. The shortest variant,

945-474: The Boeing 757 . The family also featured a redesigned vertical stabilizer with a dorsal fin at the base. In March 1981, USAir and Southwest Airlines each ordered 10 aircraft of the 737-300 series, with an option for 20 more. That aircraft, the initial model of the 737 Classic series, first flew in February 1984 and entered service in December of that year with Southwest Airlines. A further stretched model,

1008-505: The Farnborough Airshow . The new series featured CFM56 turbofan engines, yielding significant gains in fuel economy and a reduction in noise, but also posing an engineering challenge given the low ground clearance of the 737 – a trait of its 707 -derived fuselage. Boeing and engine supplier CFM International solved the problem by placing the engine ahead of (rather than below) the wing, and by moving engine accessories to

1071-508: The -300/400/500 variants as the 737 Classic. In total, 1,988 aircraft were delivered from 1984 until production ended in the year 2000: 1,113 -300s, 486 -400s and 389 -500s. Following the success of the Boeing 737-200 Advanced , Boeing wanted to increase capacity and range , incorporating improvements to upgrade the plane to modern specifications, while also retaining commonality with previous 737 variants. Development began in 1979, and in 1980, preliminary aircraft specifications were released at

1134-543: The -500 is similar in length to the original 737-200 and can fly 110 to 132 passengers. The 110-foot-long (34 m) -300 can seat 126 to 149 passengers while the 120-foot-long (37 m) -400 accommodates 147 to 168 seats. It competed with the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 series, then with the Airbus A320 family which prompted Boeing to update its offer with the 737 Next Generation , thus designating

1197-641: The 1990s, when regular Boeing customer United Airlines bought the Airbus A320 , this prompted Boeing to update the slower, shorter-range 737 Classic -400 into the rewinged, updated, more efficient, longer 737NG -800. Production of the 737 Classic continued alongside that of the Next Generation for a period of time; the first 737-700 was completed in December 1996; the last 737 Classic was completed in February 2000. Six former Southwest Airlines 737-300s are modified and operated for aerial firefighting by British Columbia -based Coulson Group, supported by

1260-540: The 737 MAX, are later extensions of this system. Throughout the 1980s, the 737 Classic series attracted large orders from airlines in the United States and Europe, with its order totals exceeding those of preceding 737 models. By far, the most successful model was the 737-300, with deliveries totaling 1,113 aircraft (the 737-400 and -500 reached 486 and 389 deliveries, respectively). Major operators included US carriers, small national airlines, and charter carriers. By

1323-399: The 737, the right (number 2) engine supplied air to the flight deck. The pilots had been used to the older version of the aircraft and did not realise that this aircraft was different. The captain later claimed that his perception of smoke as coming forward from the passenger cabin led them to assume the fault was in the right engine. The pilots throttled back the working right engine instead of

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1386-462: The 737-200, accommodating up to 140 passengers. Both glass and older style mechanical cockpits arrangements were available. Using the CFM56-3 engine also gave a 25% increase in fuel efficiency over the older -200s P&W engines. The 737-500 was launched in 1987, by Southwest Airlines, with an order for 20 aircraft, and flew for the first time on June 30, 1989. A single prototype flew 375 hours for

1449-694: The 737-300 with a new set of instruments, hardware, and software, to improve commonality with the 737-700, as well as to support the Required Navigation Performance initiative, but that order was later cancelled and the retrofits never took place. The 737-300 can be retrofitted with Aviation Partners Boeing winglets. The 737-300 retrofitted with winglets is designated the -300SP (Special Performance) first entered service in June 2003. Used passenger -300 aircraft have also been converted to freighter versions. The 737-300 has been replaced by

1512-869: The 737-300. While a few 737-300s are slated for freighter conversion, there is no demand for a -500 freighter conversion. On September 5, 2016, Southwest Airlines flew their last 737-500 revenue flight, Flight 377 from El Paso to Dallas. As of July 2019, 692 Boeing 737 Classic aircraft were in commercial service. This includes 297 -300s, 261 -400s, and 134 -500s. Many countries operate the 737 passenger and cargo variants in government or military applications including Brazil , Chile , China . Colombia , India , Indonesia , Kuwait , Mexico , Niger , Peru , South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand , United Arab Emirates , Venezuela and others. (Not all are shown) As of January 2021 , 64 hull losses of Boeing 737 Classic series aircraft have occurred, with 1,298 fatalities. An analysis by Boeing on commercial jet airplane accidents in

1575-514: The 737-400, was launched with an order for 25 aircraft with 30 options from Piedmont Airlines in June 1986. That aircraft first flew in February 1988 and entered service later that year with Piedmont Airlines. The final model of the series, the 737-500, was launched with an order for 30 aircraft from Southwest Airlines in May 1987. That aircraft, which was designed as a replacement for the 737-200 and had similar passenger capacity and dimensions, as well as

1638-472: The 737-500, first flew in June 1989 and entered service in 1990. Compared to the original series, the classic series was re-engined with the CFM56 , a high-bypass turbofan , for better fuel economy and had upgraded avionics. With a 133,500–150,000 lb (60.6–68.0 t) MTOW , it has a range of 2,060 to 2,375 nautical miles [nmi] (3,815 to 4,398 km; 2,371 to 2,733 mi). At 102 feet (31 m)

1701-460: The 737-700 in the Boeing 737 Next Generation family. The 737-400 design was launched in 1985 to fill the gap between the 737-300 and the 757-200 , and competed with the Airbus A320 and McDonnell Douglas MD-80 . It stretched the 737-300 another 10 ft (3.05 m) to carry up to 188 passengers. It included a tail bumper to prevent tailscrapes during take-off (an early issue with the 757), and

1764-640: The Boeing 737 Next Generation family. The 737-400SF (Special Freighter) is a 737-400 that has been converted to haul cargo. Alaska Airlines was the first to convert one of their 400s from regular service to an aircraft with the ability to handle 10 pallets. The airline has also converted five more into fixed combi aircraft for half passenger and freight. These 737-400 Combi aircraft were retired in 2017 and replaced with 737-700Fs. In November 2018, VX Capital launched an ABS secured on 35 737-400 freighters valued at $ 250 million (an average of $ 7.1 million), to be leased for $ 100,000 per month each. The -500 series has

1827-455: The M1 at the moment of the crash. Of the 118 passengers on board, 39 were killed outright in the crash and eight died later of their injuries, giving a total of 47 fatalities. All eight crew members survived the accident. Of the 79 survivors, 74 suffered serious injuries and five suffered minor injuries. In addition, five firefighters also suffered minor injuries during the rescue operation. No-one on

1890-592: The RAF Institute of Air Medicine. During the final approach to the East Midlands Airport, the pilots selected increased thrust from the operating, damaged engine. This led to an engine fire, caused by the tip of the fan blade dislodging from the cowling, going into the core of the engine and causing it to cease operating entirely. The ground proximity warning system activated, sounding several "glideslope" warnings. The pilots attempted to restart

1953-464: The airline in 1988 and had about 3,300 total flight hours. Between them, the pilots had close to 1,000 hours in the Boeing 737 cockpit (Hunt had 763 hours, and McClelland had 192 hours), but only 76 of these had been in Boeing 737-400 series aircraft (Hunt 23 hours and McClelland 53 hours). After taking off from Heathrow at 19:52, Flight BD 092 was climbing through 28,300 feet (8,600 m) to reach its cruising altitude of 35,000 feet (11,000 m) when

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2016-532: The autothrottle was disengaged and the right engine shut down due to reduction of fuel to the damaged left engine as it reverted to manual throttle. In the event of a malfunction, pilots were trained to check all meters and review all decisions, and Captain Hunt proceeded to do so. Whilst he was conducting the review, however, he was interrupted by a transmission from East Midlands Airport informing him he could descend further to 12,000 feet (3,700 m) in preparation for

2079-472: The certification process, and on February 28, 1990, Southwest Airlines received the first delivery. The 737-500 has become a favorite of some Russian airlines, with Nordavia , Rossiya Airlines , S7 Airlines , Sky Express , Transaero , UTair , and Yamal Airlines all buying second-hand models of the aircraft to replace aging Soviet -built aircraft and/or expand their fleets. Aerolíneas Argentinas replaced its 737-200s with second-hand 737-500s. The 737-500

2142-436: The co-ordination of his team in the rescue efforts that followed the crash. Graham Pearson, a passing motorist who assisted Kegworth survivors at the crash site for three hours, sued the airline for post-traumatic stress disorder and was awarded £57,000 in damages in 1998 (equivalent to £101,800 in 2023). The crash was featured in a 1991 documentary, an episode of the series Taking Liberties named "Fatal Error". ITV aired

2205-432: The crash. In April 1991, he told a BBC documentary, "We were the easy option – the cheap option if you wish. We made a mistake – we both made mistakes – but the question we would like answered is why we made those mistakes." BM later paid McClelland an out-of-court settlement for unfair dismissal. Alan Webb, the chief fire officer at East Midlands Airport, was made an MBE in the 1990 New Year Honours list for

2268-463: The diverted landing. He did not resume the review after the transmission ended, and instead commenced descent. The dials on the two vibration gauges (one for each engine) were smaller than on the previous versions of the 737 in which the pilots had the majority of their experience and the LED needle went around the outside of the dial as opposed to the inside. The pilots had received no simulator training on

2331-441: The engine accessory gearbox was moved from the bottom of the engine (the 6 o'clock position) to the 9 o'clock position, giving the engine nacelle its distinctive flat-bottomed shape, which is often nicknamed the "hamster pouch ". The overall thrust was also reduced, from 24,000 to 20,000 lbf (107 to 89 kN), mostly due to the reduction in bypass ratio . The 737 Classic saw introduction of Speed Trim System (STS),

2394-423: The engine from the crash determined that the fan blades (LP stage 1 compressor) of the uprated CFM International CFM56 engine used on the 737-400 were subject to abnormal amounts of vibration when operating at high power settings above 10,000 feet (3,000 m). As it was an upgrade to an existing engine, in-flight testing was not mandatory, and the engine had only been tested in the laboratory. Upon this discovery,

2457-433: The first aircraft on November 28. It proved a very popular aircraft: Boeing received 252 orders in 1985, and over 1,000 throughout its production. The 300 series remained in production until the last aircraft was delivered to Air New Zealand on December 17, 1999, registration ZK-NGJ. By then, 1,113 Boeing 737 -300s had been produced over more than 15 years. In December 2008, Southwest Airlines selected Boeing to retrofit

2520-470: The first commercial airplane with this system (named AutoPower) was the DC-3 (since 1956). The first version was able to keep a constant angle of attack but speed-only during approach. When the possibility of maintaining speed during an entire flight was introduced, it led to the creation of the modern autothrottle. The RA-5C Vigilante used an autothrottle actuated by the input from accelerometers installed in

2583-711: The formation on 21 November 2016 of the International Board for Research into Aircraft Crash Events , which is a joint co-operation between experts in the field for the purpose of producing an internationally agreed-upon, evidence-based set of impact bracing positions for passengers and (eventually) cabin crew members in a variety of seating configurations. These will be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organization through its Cabin Safety Group. A memorial

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2646-459: The ground at a speed of 213 km/h (115 kn; 132 mph) and the aircraft bounced back into the air and over the motorway, knocking down trees and a lamp post before crashing on the far embankment around 475 metres (519 yd) short of the active runway's paved surface and about 630 metres (690 yd) from its threshold. The aircraft broke into three sections. This was adjacent to the motorway, but no vehicles were travelling on that part of

2709-514: The longest range of any member of the 737 Classic family, first flew in June 1989 and entered service with Southwest Airlines in 1990. Boeing selected the CFM56-3 exclusively to power the 737-300 variant. The 737 wings were closer to the ground than previous applications for the CFM56, necessitating several modifications to the engine. The fan diameter was reduced, which reduced the bypass ratio, and

2772-456: The malfunctioning left engine. They had no way of visually checking the engines from the cockpit, and the cabin crew – who did not hear the captain refer to the right hand engine in his cabin address – did not inform them that smoke and flames had been seen from the left engine. When the pilots retarded the right engine, they could no longer smell the smoke or feel the vibration, which led them to believe that they had correctly dealt with

2835-451: The motorway was injured, and all vehicles in the vicinity of the disaster were undamaged. The first person to arrive at the scene and render aid was a motorist, Graham Pearson. A former Royal Marine , he helped passengers for over three hours, and subsequently received damages for post-traumatic stress disorder . Aid was also given by a troop of eight SAS soldiers, four of whom were regimentally qualified paramedics. Their truck had been on

2898-458: The motorway when the crash occurred. The investigation established that the wiring associated with the fire warning lights was properly connected. Initially there was a concern that the sensors in the engines and the warning lights on the flight deck may have been cross-wired. Captain Hunt believed the right engine was malfunctioning due to the smell of smoke in the cabin because in previous Boeing 737 variants bleed air for cabin air conditioning

2961-404: The new model, as no simulator for the 737-400 existed in the UK at that time. At the time, vibration indicators were known for being unreliable (and normally ignored by pilots), but unknown to the pilots, this was one of the first aircraft to have a very accurate vibration readout, although it was still permitted to fly with one gauge unserviceable under Boeing's Minimum Equipment List. Analysis of

3024-413: The period 1959–2017 showed that the classic series had a hull loss rate of 0.71 per million departures versus 0.17 for the Next Generation series and 1.75 for the original series. Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Autothrottle There are two parameters that an A/T can maintain, or try to attain: speed and thrust. In speed mode

3087-427: The problem had been identified, and then the right engine was shut down. On the final stage of the approach, thrust was increased on the left engine. The tip of the fan blade that had lodged in the cowling from the earlier event became dislodged and was drawn into the core of the engine, damaging it and causing a fire. Of the 126 people aboard, 47 died and 74 sustained serious injuries. The fan blade had initially suffered

3150-633: The problem. As it turned out, this was due to a combination of the Power Management Control unit and autothrottle which was disengaged prior to shutting down the right engine, the fuel flow to both engines was reduced, and the excess fuel, which had been igniting in the left engine exhaust, disappeared; therefore, the ongoing damage was reduced, the smell of smoke ceased, and the vibration reduced, although it would still have been visible on cockpit instruments which were at 'best unclear and at worst misleading' according to Dr Roger Green from

3213-463: The remaining 99 Boeing 737-400s then in service were grounded and the engines modified. Following the crash, testing all newly designed and significantly redesigned turbofan engines under representative flight conditions is now mandatory. This unnoticed vibration created excessive metal fatigue in the fan blades, and on G-OBME this caused one of the fan blades to break off. This damaged the engine terminally and also upset its delicate balance, causing

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3276-426: The right engine by windmilling , but the aircraft was by now only 900 above the ground and flying too slowly for a restart. At 20:24:33, Captain Hunt broadcast to the passengers via the aircraft's public-address system: "Prepare for crash landing," instructing passengers to take the brace position. The stick shaker then activated. Just before crossing the M1 motorway at 20:24:43, the tail and main landing gear struck

3339-455: The sides (rather than the bottom) of the engine pod, giving the 737 a distinctive noncircular air intake. The wing incorporated a number of changes for improved aerodynamics . The wing tip was extended 9 inches (23 cm). The leading-edge slats and trailing-edge flaps were adjusted. The flight deck was improved with the optional electronic flight instrumentation system, and the passenger cabin incorporated improvements similar to those on

3402-422: The smallest dimensions of the 737 Classics. The -500 was offered, due to customer demand, as a modern and direct replacement of the 737-200, incorporating the improvements of the 737 Classic series in a model that allowed longer routes with fewer passengers to be more economical than with the 737-300. Though smaller than the -300 and -400, the fuselage length of the -500 is 1 ft 7 in (48 cm) longer than

3465-416: The tail which caused the throttle to be sensitive to movement of the stabilator. This allowed the pilot to adjust the throttle setting during landing approach by stick input alone. Shortly after AutoPower's success, two companies, Sperry (now part of Honeywell) and Collins started competing in the development of an autothrottle, with more and more liners and business jets being equipped with it. Today, it

3528-432: The test results. The accident was the first hull loss of a Boeing 737 Classic aircraft, and the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 737 Classic aircraft. The aircraft was a British Midland -operated Boeing 737-4Y0, registration G-OBME, on a scheduled flight from London Heathrow Airport to Belfast International Airport, Northern Ireland, having already flown from Heathrow to Belfast and back that day. The 737-400

3591-447: The throttle is positioned to attain a set target speed, subject to safe operating margins. For example, if the pilot selects a target speed which is slower than stall speed , the autothrottle system maintains a speed above the stall speed. In the thrust mode the engine is maintained at a fixed power setting according to the different flight phases. For example, during takeoff , the A/T maintains constant takeoff power until takeoff mode

3654-444: The way to land or go-around , barring malfunction. Taxi is not considered a part of flight, and A/T does not work for taxiing. In most cases, A/T mode selection is automatic without the need of any manual selection unless interrupted by pilots. According to Boeing-published flight procedures, A/T is engaged BEFORE the takeoff procedure and is automatically disconnected two seconds after landing. During flight, manual override of A/T

3717-534: Was built in the village cemetery in nearby Kegworth to "those who died, those who were injured and those who took part in the rescue operation", together with a garden made using soil from the crash site. Captain Hunt and First Officer McClelland, both seriously injured in the crash, were dismissed following the criticisms of their actions in the Air Accidents Investigation Branch report. Hunt suffered injuries to his spine and legs in

3780-495: Was diverted to nearby East Midlands Airport at the suggestion of British Midland Airways Operations. After the initial blade fracture, Captain Kevin Hunt, the non-handling pilot, took control without first advising McClelland, and disengaged the plane's autopilot . Hunt then asked First Officer David McClelland which engine was malfunctioning, McClelland replied: "It's the le.... It's the right one". In previous versions of

3843-480: Was replaced by the 737-600 in the Boeing 737 Next Generation family. However, unlike the 737-500, the 737-600 was a slow seller for Boeing, with only 69 aircraft delivered since its introduction. As the retirement of all 737 Classic models progressed, with retirement of 300s and -500s reaching 40% in 2012, the 737-500 has faced accelerated retirement because of its smaller size. Aircraft of this series were being retired after 21 years of use, as compared to 24 years for

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3906-438: Was taken from the right engine. Starting with the Boeing 737-400 variant, Boeing had redesigned the system to use bleed air from both engines. Several cabin staff and passengers noticed that the left engine had a stream of unburnt fuel igniting in the jet exhaust, but this information was not passed to the pilots because cabin staff assumed they were aware that the left engine was malfunctioning. The smell of smoke disappeared when

3969-589: Was the newest design from Boeing, with the first unit entering service less than four months earlier, in September 1988. G-OBME had accumulated 521 airframe hours. The aircraft was powered by two CFM International CFM56 turbofan engines. The flight was crewed by 43-year-old Captain Kevin Hunt and 39-year-old First Officer David McClelland. Hunt had been with British Midland since 1966 and had about 13,200 hours of flying experience. First Officer McClelland joined

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