.
They certainly did go for a second and then a thrid (and final, fatal) take-off run after consulting with the Munich-based BEA engineer.
This was because it was known that engine pressure readings could fluctuate on the Ambassador in humid atmospheric conditions at certain elevations, so it was decided that a second attempt would be made. The second attempt began routinely, but when the port engine appeared to exceed its normal parameters again, the throttles were closed and the aircraft was allowed to roll to the end of the runway before being taxied back to its stand.
As the passengers disembarked, BEA’s local station engineer boarded the aircraft and discussed the situation with the crew. All believed that the excessive pressure fluctuations were being caused by the humidity/elevation problem, which the engineer said wasn’t critical. You know what happened next.
Just as an aside, although Captain Thain was exonerated by the British Fay Commission around ten years after the accident, the German authorities have never formally accepted the slush theory.
James Thain never flew again and the strain of his decade-long legal battle to clear his name must surely have taken its toll on him. He died in 1975 aged just 54. 🙁
Thanx for the info….very interesting and sad….I found the dramdoc portrayl of the engine trouble confusing and misleading, and Im a flight test engineer….it did seem to suggest that Busby should have said something…which he should not as it was a pilot/engineer decision. The pilot situation was sad too.
I watched the dramdoc crash run willing the aircraft not to crash….
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