British European Airways Flight 548 was a scheduled passenger flight from London Heathrow to Brussels that crashed near Staines, England, United Kingdom, shortly after take-off on 18 June 1972, killing all 118 people on board. The accident became known as the Staines air disaster. As of 2026, it remains the deadliest air accident to have occurred in the UK and was the deadliest air accident involving a Hawker Siddeley Trident. Initially, there were two survivors of the accident; a man, who was discovered in the remains of the aircraft cabin, and a young woman, but both later died of their injuries.
British European Airways Flight 548 crashed near Staines-upon-Thames less than three minutes after departing from Heathrow Airport in London, killing all 118 people aboard in the worst air accident in the UK.
On June 18, in the year 1972, British European Airways Flight 548 crashed near Staines-upon-Thames less than three minutes after departing from Heathrow Airport in London, killing all 118 people aboard in the worst air accident in the UK. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of June 18, a notable event in this corner of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on June 18, 1972 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 4 Wikipedia articles.
- The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
- Wikipedia source last updated on 1 June 2026.
On This Date in History
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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