Commander James Thain and his co-pilot Captain Ken Rayment had already attempted to take off twice, but on both occasions there had been a mysterious drop in engine thrust.  While groud staff tried to find out what was wrong, the passengers returned to the airport lounge.  Duncan Edwards telegrammed his landlady, telling her that he'd be back the next day.

    When nothing wrong was found with the plane, the passengers reboarded and the aircraft began accelerating down the runway.  But again the needle on the speed indicator suddenly and inexplicably dropped from 117 knots to 105 - not enough to complete a successful take-off.

    Less than a minute later, at 3.04 pm, the aircraft crashed on the runway was torn apart into two separate pieces.  Only 21 of the 44 passegers survived.

    Eight of the famous Busby Babes died in the crash, or later of their injuries.  Jackie Blanchflower and Johnny Berry were so badly injured that they never played professional football again.  Apart from Berry and Tommy Taylor, they had raised at Old Trafford, nutured together by Sir Matt Busby and slowly brought into the first team.  The average age of the players who died was just 24.

    As football began again a week after the tragedy, every supporter at every ground stood in total silence as a mark of respect.

    Sir Matt Busby spent months on the critical list.  On his return, he set about rebuilding his beloved club from the ashes of Munich.  Few who were there at the time doubted that 10 years later, when United won the European Cup, they did it for the brave, brilliant young men who had lost their lives.

    1) Roger Byrne (1929-1958)
 
        A Manchester lad, Byrne was a remarkable individual who succeeded Johnny Carey as United's skipper.  A right footer who made his name as a left full back, Byrne was an extremely quick full England international and seen as a father figure to the younger Babes when he died at Munich, aged 28.
 

    2) Eddie Colman (1936-1958)

        Colman was just 21 when he died at Munich.  The right half from Ordsall, Salford had already won two Championship medals and appeared in an FA Cup final.  Colman formed a partnership with Ducan Edwards based upon the understanding that attack was the best from of defence.  One of our brightest propects.
 

    3) Ducan Edwards (1936-1958)

        Born in Dudley, West Midlands, left half Edwards was the youngest player to be capped for England, at the age of 18 years 183 days.  Many described him as the finest player of his generation and arguably the best ever to wear a Manchester United shirt.  With his immense natural ability, this strapping genius never saw his greatest days.
 

    4) Mark Jones (1933-1958)

        With Ducan Edwards to his left and Eddie Colman to his right, Barnsley born centre half Jones was a formidable stopper in the heart of the United defence.  Ever-present in the 1955/56 Championship seasons, Jones also gained England schoolboy honours.
 

    5) Tommy Taylor (1932-1958)

         Taylor was the superb leader of United's attack in the years preceeding Munich.  Born in Barnsley, he was bought for 29,999 pounds by Busby in 1953.  An England international, his 128 goals in 189 appearances including 11 in 14 European Cup games for United place him alongside our greatest ever goalscorers.
 

    6) David Pegg (1935-1958)

        Born near Doncaster, Pegg was a member of United's spendid left-wing trio - alongside Ducan Edwards and Albert Scanlon-who destroyed Wolves 7-1 in the first leg of the 1953 FA Youth Cup final.  An outside left for United's first team, he made almost 150 appearances before he died at Munich.
 

    7) Liam Whelan (1935-1958)

        Before Liam Whelan died at Munich he had been vying with Bobby Charlton for the number eight shirt.  Born in Dublin, his ball control and skill were a joy to watch as he scored over 52 goals in 96 United appearances.  Whelan was capped by the Republic of Ireland on four occasions.
 

    8) Geoff Bent (1932-1958)

        Geoff Bent was at United for nine years, during which he played a dozen first-team games and was only once on the losing side.  A loyal and reliable left-half back, he acted as Captain Roger Byrne's understudy, and it was in that capacity that he travelled to Belgrade.
 

    9) Walter Crickmer

        United's club secretary (left).
 

    10) Tom Curry

        United trainer (below left)

    11) Bert Whalley

        United youth coach (bottom left)

    12) Ken Rayment

        Co-pilot

    13) Frank Swift
 
        Football correspondent of the News of the World and former England and Manchester City Goalkeeper.
 

    14) Alf Clarke
 
        Journalist, Manchester Evening Chronicle

    15) Don Davies

        Journalist, Manchester Guardian

    16) George Follows

        Journalist, Daily Herald

    17) Tom Jackson

        Journalist, Manchester Evening News

    18) Archie Ledbrooke

        Journalist, Daily Mirror

    19) Herry Rose

        Journalist, Daily Express

    20) Eric Thompson

        Journalist, Daily Mail

    21) Bela Miklos

        Travel agent

    22) Willie Satinoff

        Businessman friend of Sir Matt Busby

    23) Tom Cable

        Member of Aircrew