Mayday

So, as I had told you guys in the last article, I met up with the creative mind behind Sunset Saga and got to put a face to the creativity, and boy was I impressed.

We’d scheduled a meet-up in the tarde hours of the day, in town. It was a productive meeting in the least. Time and money well spent. We should do it again Señor Bilman.

Yes! His name is Bilman.

Sounds like a nickname, or some superhero from the Marvel studios. A superhero who takes care of bills.

You would be at a fancy restaurant, and you get the bill which is way above your budget or your money and you’d call Bilman and he would come flying in his skinsuit in burgundy or yellow underwear on top of the skinsuit with his matching wings. Something similar to Superman or Batman only this time it’s Bilman!

As we are seated by the balcony overlooking Moi avenue, at the Edge lounge. We catch up, on life stories and events, the state of the economy, women, and mostly football. It just so happened that Arsenal the arch-rivals of Manchester United were playing Everton at Goodison park home of Everton. Bil a Manchester jang’o was rooting for Everton, and true to his words Arsenal was humiliated with one goal loss after a consecutive winning streak of 4 games and 1 draw in the Premier league.

At 1800 hours, Manchester was facing Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. So for those who watched the game, you are aware of the tragedies that unfolded, to say the least. For those who didn’t, I got you.

As am glued to the screen on my right, a babe came to the balcony for a smoke. A black beauty, an African mistress. There is something I find sexy about ladies who smoke. They have this aura around them and they are sort-a bossy, and strategists like Polly Gray of the Peaky Blinders. Now my attention was diverted toward her, a million and one thoughts cross my head, and I’m thinking, does she have a cigarette after sex? That must be so satisfying, and fulfilling an orgasm and a smoke?

Or what is it with smoking after sex?

As the players are getting ready for the game. Both managers Erik Ten Hag and Patrick Vieira matched into the stadium holding wreaths for the floor tribute, while the surfer flag was making its way around the stadium written in bold “WE’LL NEVER DIE”, I was puzzled, so I asked Bil, what happened? Who died?

He did a quick search on the web, and that ladies and gentlemen was the inspiration for this piece.

I know you were expecting something on Craig Crist-Evans and why he’s a bastard. That is still to come.

So what happened? Who died?

Back in 1958, just a decade after WWII. Manchester United became one of the best football teams in England becoming the first English team to enter the European Cup, also popularly known as the EUFA Championship. On a day like today February 6, 1958, the team was flying back to the then Yugoslavia, now Serbia, after a draw that ended in a 3-3 draw against Red Star Belgrade after a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on January 14 which saw an aggregate of  5-4, qualifying them for the Semifinals.

The team under the Scottish Manager Matt Busby was nicknamed “Busby Babes”, together with a group of supporters and journalists a group of 44 souls, 38 passengers, and 6 crew, boarded a BEA (British European Airways) aircraft flight 609 registration Golf-Alpha Lima Zulu Uniform.

This aircraft was an Airspeed AS-57 Ambassador, known as the Elizabethan. The flight had stopped to refuel at Munich because a non-stop flight from Belgrade to Manchester was beyond the range of the Elizabethan. After refueling, the pilots James Thian and Kenneth Ravment had made two failed take-off attempts because of a boost surge in the left engine. These two men were seasoned pilots having served as fighter pilots during the world war with impeccable flight records.

The third time is a charm right? Unfortunately, this one wasn't.

Captain Thain was under immense time pressure with only a two minutes window for take-off. If this attempt wasn't successful the flight and its passengers would have been grounded in Munich. 

This plane comprised of two turboprop engines which were not the best for generating thrust as majority of the engine power was used to drive the propellers. A time before the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) and NTSB (National Transport and Safety Board) were formed. The rules of operation and safety guidelines were still in the grey.

The runway was more than 1,900 meters long, the Elizabethan would only need 1,200 of these to take off. This is winter in Europe, ice was forming on the aircraft wings and slush on the runway. The captain orchestrated a plan for a gradual take-off, to use up most of the runway to enable the engines to recover from the surge. A decision that would prove to be fatal.

Upon clearance from the traffic control at Munich tower, the captain was cleared to take off.

Captain: “Munich tower, 609 Uniform I am ready to taxi, over!”

Tower: “609, your clearance void if not airborne by 04, time now 02.”

Captain: “Roger, Understand valid to 04.”

Captain: “Munich 609 Zulu Uniform is ready for take-off” called after lining up with the runway center line.

Tower: “Roger!”

The plane reached a speed of 105 knots V1 (velocity 1). This is a speed at which an abandoned take-off cannot be safely executed, a point of no return. The first officer with his focus on the speedometer waited to call out V2 which is at 119 knots, at this speed the plane could now take off.

But, something went wrong. 

The aircraft suddenly lose speed. Having used up more than three-quarters of the runway the plane could not come to a stop. The plane ran over poles at the end of the runway, crashing through the fence and hitting a house 300 meters beyond the end of the runway. On hitting the house the left wing of the aircraft was torn off. A tail section broke off and hit a barn with a fuel truck parked inside which caught fire and exploded.

21 people perished in the crash, 7 of whom were players, the head coach, secretary, and trainer also died. 7 more played were seriously wounded. The manager Matt Busby was in critical condition. A team that would have been one of the best in the world was wiped out of the face of the earth. This was the worst incident in the history of sports. The wreaths were a commemoration of this incident 65 years later. 

Moment of Silence.

Meanwhile; on the pitch. An argument ensued at time 67’, while Manchester was two goals ahead of its rivals from Bruno’s penalty and Rashford’s goals. The argument saw Casemiro sent off after the 'attempted murder' of Will Hughes when he was caught on camera with his hands around Hughes’ neck after a VAR check. Palace took advantage of the send-off and scored one goal against the Red devils.