On 22 August 1985 a British Airtours Boeing 737 suffered an uncontained engine failure on the runway at Manchester Airport, resulting in a catastrophic fire and the deaths of 55 people. The accident had a profound effect on aviation safety thanks to the painstaking investigation that followed. Using examples from a 30-year career in safety, Professor Braithwaite looked at how the investigative mindset is developed and how it helps find order in chaos to improve future safety performance.
Speaker
Graham Braithwaite is Professor of Safety and Accident Investigation at Cranfield University and Director of its Transport Systems Theme. His work covers safety management, human factors and accident investigation across transport, healthcare and construction. He led Cranfield’s Queen’s Anniversary Prize bids in 2011 and 2019, and is Independent Safety Adviser to the Boards of British Airways and TUI Airways UK.