Pacific Western Airlines Flight 501
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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 and slowed the aircraft noticeably.
An emergency evacuation was ordered as the fire continued to roar. Amazingly, no one was killed, with only five people seriously injured and 22 with minor injuries. The plane burnt to the ground as fire crews attempted to stop 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.
