What happened
On the evening of the accident, a British Midland Airways flight departing from London-Heathrow Airport for Belfast experienced significant mechanical issues shortly after takeoff. While climbing through FL283, the crew reported intense vibrations and the smell of fire within the cockpit. This was caused by the detachment of an outer panel from a fan blade on the number one engine, which triggered compressor stalls and airframe shaking.
Misidentifying the source of the malfunction, the crew reduced power to the number two engine. Once the vibrations ceased following the shutdown of the second engine, the flight diverted toward East Midlands Airport. During the final approach to runway 27, at an altitude of approximately 900 feet, the number one engine experienced a sudden and significant loss of thrust. As the airspeed dropped below 125 knots, the aircraft's stall warning activated.
The Boeing 737 struck trees before impacting the western carriageway of the M1 motorway. The wreckage came to rest against a wooded embankment, roughly 1,023 meters from the runway threshold. The accident resulted in 47 fatalities, while the remaining occupants sustained various injuries, including several serious cases.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the crew mistakenly shut down the functioning number two engine instead of the damaged number one engine. This error was driven by several factors:
- The intense vibrations and fire odor were unprecedented for the crew's experience level.
- The crew reacted to the initial engine failure in a manner inconsistent with their training.
- There was a failure to properly analyze engine instrument readings before reducing power on the second engine.
- The cessation of vibration after shutting down the second engine created a false sense that the correct engine had been addressed.
- The crew was unaware of visible flames emanating from the number one engine, which had been observed by passengers and cabin attendants.