Twentieth Anniversary of Kegworth Air Crash

[NickFitz]

It was twenty years ago this evening that an airliner crashed on the embankment of the M1 at Kegworth.

A friend of mine was working as an embalmer for a Leicester funeral director back then. He had been ardently pursuing a young lady for some time, and that evening had finally managed to get her round to his place for dinner. Knowing that some people found it off-putting, he had carefully avoided mentioning his profession.

The food and candlelight did the trick, and they finished up in his bed.

At about two in the morning, his phone went. Having answered it he started to get up, apologising to his date and explaining that he had an emergency call-out.

"Why, what's happened? What do you do, anyway?" she asked.

"Well, you know that news flash earlier about the plane crash on the motorway?"

"Yes..."

"Well, I'm an embalmer. I have to get up to the airport to help deal with the bodies coming out of the plane."

He never got a second date with her

[thunderlizard]

He will eventually

[NickFitz]

He will eventually

[BA to the Stars]

So he went from dealing with one kind of stiff to another



I remember the news flashes. A terrible tragedy. always think of it when I pass there on the M1

[zara_backdog]

I remember the news flashes. A terrible tragedy. always think of it when I pass there on the M1

Same here Can't believe it was so long ago

[NickFitz]

I remember the news flashes. A terrible tragedy. always think of it when I pass there on the M1

Me too.

For quite a while afterwards there was a big inverted V through the trees and bushes on the embankment where the plane had smashed through them. In the end the council chopped the whole lot down.

[Churchill]

Me too.

For quite a while afterwards there was a big inverted V through the trees and bushes on the embankment where the plane had smashed through them. In the end the council chopped the whole lot down.

Why was the "V" inverted?

[NickFitz]

Why was the "V" inverted?

Because the plane went into it nose-first. As you can see from the photo on the BBC story, the wings and broken-off tail section cleared out numbers of trees.

As a result, when one went past on the motorway, the cleared area went from being broad nearest the carriageway to just narrow enough to accommodate the nose of the plane at the top of the embankment.

You can get an impression of the scene about 17 - 19 seconds into the video at the bottom of the BBC story.

[TykeMerc]

I remember the news flashes. A terrible tragedy. always think of it when I pass there on the M1

Me too, I'm still amazed that so many people survive air crashes despite having worked in aerospace.

[TheFaQQer]

Why was the "V" inverted?

It's a matter of perspective