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Dan Air Flight 1008 took off from Manchester Airport in England at 9:20 AM, carrying 138 passengers and eight crew members—mostly British holidaymakers eager to bask in the warm sun of the Canary Islands. The flight was manned by three experienced pilots: Captain Arthur Whelan, 50, who had amassed over 15,000 flying hours; co-pilot Michael Firth, 33, with nearly 3,500 hours; and flight engineer Raymond Carey, aged 33, also with about 3,500 hours. The aircraft, a Boeing 727, was 13 years old and had been a reliable choice for medium-haul flights.