Living hell of pilot blamed for deaths of Busby Babes
intervened, ordering an investigation by British officials. It concluded that slush, not ice, almost certainly doomed BEA Flight 609 in Munich on a refuelling stop while carrying the team back from a successful European Cup game in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. “Blame is not to be imputed to Captain Thain,” the report stated.
The pilot hoped his exoneration would pave the way for a return to flying but by then it was the jet age and his employers simply didn’t want to know. Yet his doggedness led to better understanding of the dangers of slush and a tightening of rules.
MORRIN says: “If it wasn’t for Thain’s single-mindedness, fighting so hard to clear his name for so many years, the true cause would never have been established. Without doubt he prevented another Munich. But after the war there were political reasons for not damaging relations with Germany so he stood almost alone in his fight. He was a convenient scapegoat.”
It all took a heavy toll on Thain, who served in the RAF as a pilot during the Second World War, and he died of a heart attack in 1975. His daughter Sebuda, who was seven at the time of the crash, says: “My parents tried to shield me but it was horrible to find out he was being blamed. Dad’s life was turned upside down and he lost his job so didn’t qualify for his pension.
“He simply wanted everyone to acknowledge the truth. He was a man of great fortitude and was determined to make sure he found the cause. My dad died aged 54 believing that he was the victim of a great injustice. There was a huge amount of strain and stress. He was bitter and who can blame him? He was an honest man and a fine pilot.”
To this day Germany has never overturned the incorrect findings of the two inquiries into the Munich air disaster but there’s still talk that should happen. Perhaps the 60th anniversary would be the appropriate time?
But Sebuda, who became a teacher and lives in Berkshire, doesn’t hold out much hope. “It’s all history now and I don’t think anything is going to change,” she says. “But my dad’s legacy is improvements in aircraft safety.”