British European Airways Flight 548 was a scheduled passenger flight from London Heathrow to Brussels on 18 June 1972, which crashed just after take-off, killing all 118 people on board. The accident became known as the Staines disaster, and was the worst air disaster in Britain until the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.
The Hawker Siddeley Trident suffered a deep stall in the third minute of the flight and crashed near the town of Staines, narrowly missing a busy main road. The ensuing inquest principally blamed the captain for failing to maintain airspeed and configure the high-lift devices correctly. It cited the captain's heart condition and the limited experience of the co-pilot, while also noting an unspecified 'technical problem' that they apparently resolved while still on the runway. The process and findings of the inquiry were considered highly controversial among British pilots and the public.
The crash took place against the background of a pilots' strike that had caused bad feelings between crew members. The strike had also disrupted services, causing Flight 548 to be loaded with the maximum weight allowable.
Recommendations from the inquiry led to the mandatory installation of cockpit voice recorders in British-registered airliners. Another recommendation was for greater caution before allowing off-duty flight crew members to occupy flight deck seats.
On 18 June 2004 two memorials in Staines were dedicated to those who died in the accident.
Read more about British European Airways Flight 548: Industrial Relations Background, Operational Background, Investigation and Public Inquiry, Victims, Memorials
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