Munich Air Disaster

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Lore & Background

The Manchester United team were returning from a European Cup match in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), having eliminated Red Star Belgrade to advance to the semi-finals of the competition. The flight stopped to refuel in Munich, because a non-stop flight from Belgrade to Manchester was beyond the range of the "Elizabethan"-class Airspeed Ambassador. After refuelling, pilots James Thain and Kenneth Rayment twice abandoned take-off because of boost surging in the left engine. Fearing they would fall too far behind schedule, Thain rejected an overnight stay in Munich in favour of a third take-off attempt. By that time, snow was falling, causing a layer of slush to form at the end of the runway. After hitting the slush, the aircraft ploughed through a fence beyond the end of the runway, and the left wing was ripped off when it struck a house. The tail section broke off and hit a barn, but there was no fuel truck inside the barn; the fire and explosion were caused by fuel from the aircraft igniting. Fearing the aircraft might explode, Thain began evacuating passengers, while goalkeeper Harry Gregg helped pull survivors from the wreckage. An investigation by West German airport authorities originally blamed Thain, saying he did not de-ice the aircraft's wings, despite eyewitness statements indicating that de-icing was unnecessary. The last inquiry by the UK Board of Trade, released in 1969, found that the crash was caused by slush on the runway that slowed the plane too much to allow takeoff, and that Captain Thain was not to blame.

In Their Own Story

As the aircraft gathered speed on the third attempt, radio officer Bill Rodgers announced "Zulu Uniform rolling." Thain called out velocities in 10-knot increments until the port engine surged again at 85 knots. Once reaching 117 knots (V1), the speed fluctuated and dropped to 105 knots instead of rising to V2. Rayment shouted, "Christ, we won't make it!" just before the plane crashed. Half-back Duncan Edwards had sent a telegram earlier reading: "All flights cancelled, flying tomorrow. Duncan." Some players, including Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, Eddie Colman, and journalist Frank Swift, moved to the back of the plane believing it safer. Billy Whelan remarked, "This may be death, but I'm ready." In the aftermath, goalkeeper Harry Gregg helped pull survivors from the wreckage while Thain evacuated passengers fearing an explosion. Twenty people died instantly; three more succumbed in hospital, including Duncan Edwards who passed away thirteen days later.

Reader's Guide

United were aiming to become the third club to win three successive Football League titles. They were six points behind league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers, with 14 games still to play. They held the FA Charity Shield and had just advanced into their second successive European Cup semi-finals. The team had not been beaten for 11 matches. The crash not only derailed the team's title ambitions that year but also destroyed the nucleus of what promised to be one of the greatest generations of players in English football history. It took ten years for the club to recover after the tragedy. Busby, assisted by Murphy rebuilt the team and won the European Cup in 1968 with a new generation of "Babes".

Did You Know?

• The crash killed 23 people in total, with 21 survivors.
• The aircraft was an Airspeed Ambassador 2, built in 1952.
• Captain James Thain was later cleared of blame by a UK Board of Trade inquiry in 1969.
• Goalkeeper Harry Gregg helped pull survivors from the wreckage.

The Rise of the Busby Babes

In April 1955, UEFA established the European Cup. The Football League initially denied Chelsea entry, but when Manchester United won the First Division in 1956–57, manager Matt Busby and chairman Harold Hardman defied the league to enter Europe with FA chairman Stanley Rous's help. Known as the "Busby Babes" for their youth, they reached the semi-finals of the 1956–57 tournament before losing to Real Madrid. Winning the title again secured qualification for the 1957–58 season, making them favorites. With domestic matches on Saturdays and European fixtures midweek, air travel was the only option to fulfill league schedules without proving Football League secretary Alan Hardaker right about English football's readiness. After beating Shamrock Rovers and Dukla Prague, United faced Red Star Belgrade in the quarter-finals.

The Fatal Return Journey

The return flight from Belgrade used a chartered British European Airways plane due to difficult travel conditions experienced previously when fog forced a detour via Amsterdam and ferry. Both were former RAF officers; Rayment was a Second World War flying ace who shot down five German fighters, one Italian plane, and a V-1 bomb. The flight stopped to refuel at Munich-Riem because a non-stop journey exceeded the aircraft's range. After two aborted take-offs due to engine surging and an overrich mixture, Thain opted for a third attempt despite falling snow and slush forming on the runway. At 15:02, clearance expired; they proceeded anyway. The plane hit slush, failed to accelerate past 105 knots, crashed through a fence, lost its port wing hitting a house, and exploded after the tail struck a fuel truck.

The Investigation and Truth

West German airport authorities originally blamed Captain James Thain, claiming he did not de-ice the wings. This contradicted eyewitness statements indicating de-icing was unnecessary under those specific conditions. The final UK Board of Trade inquiry, released in 1969, overturned this verdict. It found the crash was caused by snow slush on the runway which slowed the plane too much to achieve take-off speed. The report concluded Captain Thain was not to blame, clearing his name over a decade after the tragedy.

Rebuilding from Tragedy

The disaster destroyed the core of what promised to be one of the greatest generations in English football history. United's title ambitions for that year were derailed; they had been six points behind leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers with 14 games left and held the FA Charity Shield. The team had enjoyed an 11-match unbeaten run before the crash. It took ten years for Manchester United to recover fully. Manager Matt Busby, assisted by Jimmy Murphy, rebuilt the squad from the survivors and new signings. This effort culminated in winning the European Cup in 1968 with a new generation of "Babes," transforming the tragedy into a narrative of resilience.