Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501
Encyclopedia
Pacific Western Airlines
Flight 501 was a regularly scheduled flight that flew between Calgary, Alberta and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
. The aircraft caught fire during takeoff on March 22, 1984.
The Boeing 737
taxied from the Calgary International Airport
at 7:35 AM and proceeded to take off north on runway 34-16, carrying five crew members and 114 passengers. At 7:42 AM, a loud popping sound was heard 20 seconds into takeoff. The plane began to vibrate and pull to the left, and a fire broke out in the rear of the aircraft. The pilot, Stan Fleming, quickly aborted the take-off.
An emergency evacuation was ordered as the fire continued to roar. No one was killed. Five people were seriously injured and 22 suffered minor injuries. The plane was severely damaged by the fire.
The fire was attributed to a faulty compressor disc which blew apart, piercing the fuel tanks. This was similar to the cause of the British Airtours Flight 28M
disaster which claimed 55 lives in 1985.
Pacific Western Airlines
Pacific Western Airlines was an airline that operated scheduled flights throughout western Canada and charter services around the world from the 1950s through the 1980s...
Flight 501 was a regularly scheduled flight that flew between Calgary, Alberta and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The aircraft caught fire during takeoff on March 22, 1984.
The Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
taxied from the Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport
Calgary International Airport, , is the international airport that serves Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the surrounding region; it is situated approximately northeast of downtown Calgary...
at 7:35 AM and proceeded to take off north on runway 34-16, carrying five crew members and 114 passengers. At 7:42 AM, a loud popping sound was heard 20 seconds into takeoff. The plane began to vibrate and pull to the left, and a fire broke out in the rear of the aircraft. The pilot, Stan Fleming, quickly aborted the take-off.
An emergency evacuation was ordered as the fire continued to roar. No one was killed. Five people were seriously injured and 22 suffered minor injuries. The plane was severely damaged by the fire.
The fire was attributed to a faulty compressor disc which blew apart, piercing the fuel tanks. This was similar to the cause of the British Airtours Flight 28M
British Airtours Flight 28M
British Airtours Flight 28M was an international passenger flight on 22 August 1985 which originated from Manchester International Airport's Runway 24 in Manchester, England en-route to Corfu International Airport on the Greek island of Corfu. The aircraft, previously named "Goldfinch" but at the...
disaster which claimed 55 lives in 1985.