Munich Air Disaster
The Munich air disaster happened on February 6, 1958, when British European Flight 609, a British European Airways Airspeed Ambassador charter aircraft (G-ALZU 'Lord Burghley'), carrying players and backroom staff of Manchester United F.C., plus a number of journalists and supporters, crashed in a blizzard on its third attempt to take off from Munich airport.
United were returning from Belgrade where they had just beaten Red Star Belgrade in the European Cup and had stopped off at Munich for re-fuelling.
Twenty-three of the forty-three passengers on board the aircraft lost their lives in the disaster.
Victims
Manchester United players
Other victims
- Walter Crickmer - Club secretary
- Bert Whalley - Chief Coach
- Tom Curry - Trainer
- Alf Clarke - Journalist, Manchester Evening Chronicle
- Don Davies - Journalist, Manchester Guardian
- George Follows - Journalist, Daily Herald
- Tom Jackson - Journalist, Manchester Evening News
- Archie Ledbrooke - Journalist, Daily Mirror
- Henry Rose - Journalist, Daily Express
- Eric Thompson - Journalist, Daily Mail
- Frank Swift - Journalist, News of the World (also former England and Manchester City goalkeeper)
- Capt Kenneth Rayment - Co-Pilot
- Bela Miklos - Travel Agent
- Willie Satinoff - Supporter
- Tom Cable - Steward
Survivors
Manchester United players
- Johnny Berry
- Jackie Blanchflower
- Bobby Charlton
- Bill Foulkes
- Harry Gregg
- Ken Morgans
- Albert Scanlon
- Dennis Viollet
- Ray Wood
Other survivors
- Matt Busby - Team manager
- Frank Taylor - Journalist
- Peter Howard - Photographer
- Ted Ellyard - Photographer
- Mrs Vera Lukic and baby daughter - Passengers ( Saved by One of Manchester United players Harry Gregg)
- Mrs Miklos - Wife of Bela Miklos, the travel agent who arranged trip and died in the crash
- Mr N Tomasevic - Passenger
- James Thain - Captain
- Rosemary Cheverton - Stewardess
- Margaret Bellis - Stewardess
See Also
