Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog, im so excited to start 2019 and am extremely passionate about #Imnotdrunk and the year ahead.
So my first blog post is going to be about the Kegworth Air Disaster in 1989, my father and three friends survived this plane crash.
This horrific disaster claimed the lives of 47 people, 29 of which were from Northern Ireland. Today, January 8th marks the 30th anniversary, the British Midland flight 92, a Boeing 737-400 crashed onto the embankment of the M1 motorway near Kegworth. With 126 people aboard, 47 died and 74 sustained serious injuries, daddy and his three friends were amoung the 74 seriously injured.
Leslie, Mervyn and Daddy headed over to London to attend a boat show, they arrived to the airport early and caught an early plane home. Aboard the plane, engine trouble began. Dad and his friends can remember seeing the left engine on fire, flames coming from the engine. The pilot announced there was engine trouble with the right engine and they were shutting it off, and making an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport.
With the wrong engine being shut off, the left one burst into flames, this then lead the plane to become a very large glider plane.
The plane didn’t make the runway and I wonder if that’s a good thing? How would it have landed on the tarmac? Did the embankment break the fall in a way?
Leslie was pulled from the plane by a member of the public driving down the M1, Leslie asked him to go back for his friends! This man is a true hero!
Daddy went in and out of consciousness after the plane hit, he can remember looking up and seeing the sky, he felt thirsty and stuck his tongue out because he thought it was raining. The rain he felt was from the fire engines.
His legs were trapped and when they managed to free him they brought him to Derby Infirmary, he spent a week and a half there and was flown home with Leslie. When dad arrived back in Belfast he spent a further two weeks in Belfast Royal.
Dad spent almost a year in a wheel chair, and suffered from two broken legs and his left ankle being crushed.
Dad survived a horrific experience and I have been incredibly lucky to share his story, over the past week. I have shared dad’s story with a radio station and newspaper. I have further interviews and am honoured to share dad’s story.
Today (January 8th) Ryan, Dad, Leslie and I are flying over to East Midlands to attend a memorial service for those in the Kegworth Air Disaster.
I will keep you up to date how the memorial goes, I am excited to bring dad back to remember those who lost their lives and share this experience with him.
As its Monday night, and I have an early flight I better get to bed, wish me luck tomorrow!
Keep an eye on the #Imnotdrunk Facebook and Instagram for updates during the day!
Listen to my interview on the Stephen Nolan Show,
The Belfast Telegraph did a two page spread on dad’s story, Monday 7th January.
