The Munich air disaster occurred on February 6, 1958 when a British European Airways plane crashed on takeoff from Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, Germany. The Manchester United football team was on board returning from a match, along with supporters and journalists. Twenty-three people died in the crash and aftermath, including many of the famous "Busby Babes" Manchester United team. An investigation initially blamed the pilots but it was later found that slush on the runway prevented the plane from reaching takeoff speed.

1. The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609
crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich,
West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby
Babes", along with a number of supporters and journalists. Twenty of the 44 people on board the aircraft
died in the crash. The injured, some of whom were knocked unconscious, were taken to the Rechts der
Isar Hospital in Munich where three more died, resulting in a total of 23 fatalities with 21 survivors.
The team was returning from a European Cup match in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), against Red
Star Belgrade, and stopped in Munich for refuelling, as a non-stop trip from Belgrade to Manchester was
out of the "Elizabethan" class Airspeed Ambassador aircraft's range. After refuelling, the pilots,
Captains James Thain and Kenneth Rayment, attempted to take off twice; they abandoned both attempts
due to boost surging in the port engine. Fearing that they would get too far behind schedule, Captain
Thain rejected an overnight stay in Munich in favour of a third take-off attempt. By the time of the third
attempt, snow was falling, causing a layer of slush to build up at the far end of the runway. When the
aircraft hit the slush, it lost velocity, making take-off impossible. It ploughed through a fence past the
end of the runway, before the port wing hit a nearby house and was torn off. Fearing that the aircraft
might explode, Captain Thain set about getting the surviving passengers as far away as possible. Despite
this threat, Manchester United goalkeeper Harry Gregg remained behind to pull survivors from the
wreckage.
An investigation by the West German airport authorities originally blamed Captain Thain for the crash,
claiming that he failed to de-ice the wings of the aircraft, despite statements to the contrary from
eyewitnesses. It was later established that the crash was caused by the build-up of slush on the runway,
which resulted in the aircraft being unable to achieve take-off velocity; Thain's name was eventually
cleared in 1968, ten years after the incident.
Munich
. . . is the capital and the largest city of Bavaria. It is located on the River Isar north of the Bavarian
Alps. Munich is the 3rd largest town Germany, behind Berlin and Hamburg. About 1.42 million
people live within the city limits. Munich was the host city of the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. The
city's motte is "München mag dich" (Munich likes you). Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz"
(Cosmopolitan city with a heart). Its native name, München, means "by the monks’ place". The city's
name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted
on the city’s coat of arms.
Modern Munich is a financial and publishing hub, and a frequently top-ranked destination for migration
and expatriate location in livability rankings. Munich achieved 4th place in frequently quoted Mercer
livability rankings in 2011.For economic and social innovation, the city was ranked 15th globally out of
289 cities in 2010. Munich is often ranked as the most livable town in Germany.

2. The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, arguably the most famous beer hall worldwide, is located in the city centre.
It also operates the second largest tent at the Oktoberfest, one of Munich's most famous attractions. The
Oktoberfest was first held on 12 October 1810 in honour of the marriage of crown prince Ludwig to
Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. The festivities were closed with a horse race and in the
following years the horse races were continued and later developed into what is now known as the
Oktoberfest. Despite its name, most of Oktoberfest occurs in September. It always finishes on the first
Sunday in October unless the German national holiday on 3 October ("Tag der deutschen Einheit"-Day
of German Unity) is a Monday or Tuesday-then the Oktoberfest remains open for these days.
Town centre
At the centre of the city is the Marienplatz —a large open square. In the centre there’s Marian Column.
The New Town Hall with its tower contains the Rathaus-Glockenspiel.

3. The Rathaus-Glockenspiel is a tourist attraction. Part of the second construction phase of the New
Town Hall, it dates from 1908. Every day at 11 a.m. (as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer) it chimes
and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century to the amusement of mass crowds of tourists and locals.
It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the
marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V (who also founded the world famous Hofbräuhaus) to Renata of
Lorraine. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback
representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white). The Bavarian knight wins
every time of course. This is then followed by the bottom half and second story: Schäfflertanz (the
coopers' dance). According to myth, 1517 was a year of plague in Munich. The coopers are said to have
danced through the streets to, "bring fresh vitality to fearful dispositions." The coopers remained loyal to
the duke, and their dance came to symbolize perseverance and loyalty to authority through difficult
times. By tradition, the dance is performed in Munich every seven years. This was described in 1700 as,
"an age-old custom", but the current dance was defined only in 1871. The dance can be seen during
Fasching (German Carnival).
The whole show lasts somewhere between 12 and 15 minutes long depending on which tune it plays that
day. At the very end of the show, a very small golden bird at the top of the Glockenspiel chirps three
times, marking the end of the spectacle.
The Peterskirche, close to Marienplatz is the oldest church of the inner city. It was first built during the
Romanesque period, and was the focus of the early monastic settlement in Munich before the city's
official foundation in 1158.
The Frauenkirche is the most famous building in the city centre and serves as the cathedral.

4. The nearby Michaelskirche is the largest renaissance church north of the Alps, while the
Theatinerkirche is a basilica in Italianate high baroque which had a major influence on Southern
German baroque architecture. Its dome dominates the Odeonsplatz.
The large Residenz palace complex (begun in 1385) on the edge of Munich's Old Town ranks among Europe's
most significant museums of interior decoration. It is the former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs.
The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors for its architecture and
room decorations, and displays of the former royal collections.
Having undergone several extensions, it contains also the treasury and the splendid rococo Cuvilliés
Theatre. Next door to the Residenz the neo-classical opera, the National Theatre was erected.
Among the baroque and neoclassical mansions which still exist in Munich are the Palais Porcia, the
Palais Preysing, the Palais Holnstein and the Prinz-Carl-Palais. All mansions are situated close to the
Residenz, same as the Alte Hof, a medieval castle and first residence of the Wittelsbach dukes in
Munich.