James Thain

Thain started his career as a Royal Air Force sergeant. He was later promoted to warrant officer and was given an emergency commission as an acting pilot officer in April 1944.[1] He was promoted to pilot officer on probation in September that year.[2] He was subsequently made flight lieutenant in May 1948,[3] receiving a permanent commission in that rank in 1952.[4] He retired from the RAF to join British European Airways (BEA).

On 6 February 1958, Thain was pilot in command of an Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador (Lord Burghley, G-ALZU) flying out of Munich. The aircraft was carrying the Manchester United football team back from a match in Yugoslavia.

After two failed take off attempts, caused by problems with boost surging in one of the Ambassador's engines, Thain chose to make a third try, hoping to stay on schedule, rather than remain overnight for maintenance at Munich. The aircraft failed to take off and crashed, killing twenty-three people. Twenty people died on board, and three died later in hospital.

The German airport authorities blamed Thain for the accident at the time, saying he did not de-ice the aircraft's wings, despite eyewitness statements indicating de-icing was not required. On Christmas Day 1960 he was dismissed by BEA and spent the next decade trying to clear his name. He never flew for an airline again.[5]

It was later learned that slush on the runway had made it impossible for the Ambassador to gain flying speed.[6] Thain was cleared in 1969.[7] Despite this finding, German authorities continued to blame Thain.[8][9]

Retiring to his poultry farm in southern England, Thain died after suffering a heart attack on 6 August 1975, at the age of 54, in Berkshire.[5]

• Stewart, Stanley (1987). Air Disasters. London: Guild Publishing. ISBN 0-09-956200-6.