The *Munich air disaster happened on 6 February 1958 and is one of the most tragic events in football history.
### What happened
A *British European Airways Flight 609 was carrying the Manchester United team home from a European Cup match in Belgrade.
The plane stopped in *Munich to refuel.
Two take-off attempts were aborted due to engine issues.
On the third attempt, the aircraft failed to gain speed because of slush on the runway, overran the runway, and crashed.
### Casualties
*23 people died (some later from injuries).
This included *8 Manchester United players, later known as the “Busby Babes”.
*21 people survived, among them manager Sir Matt Busby, who was critically injured.
### Players who died
Roger Byrne (captain)
Geoff Bent
Eddie Colman
Mark Jones
David Pegg
Tommy Taylor
Liam “Billy” Whelan
Duncan Edwards (died 15 days later)
### Impact & legacy
The disaster devastated Manchester United and English football.
Assistant manager Jimmy Murphy rebuilt the team.
United went on to win the *European Cup in 1968, ten years later, seen as a tribute to those lost.
The club’s identity, culture, and motto *“Never Forgotten”* are deeply tied to Munich.