list of wichita state plane crash victims
by tragedy. Today, a memorial below the crash site on Interstate 70 commemorates the tragedy, and the FAA has gone on to pass stricter regulations with each passing year. Copilot Skipper had been gaining altitude since departure from Denver, but it was quickly becoming apparent that the plane was too low to proceed over the lofty granite barrier looming ahead. Not only were they just great young men, friendly to everyone, and amazing athletes, they also were too young to die while they had so much to offer.. They were bound for Logan, Utah, to play the Utah State University Aggies the following day. group. USA, McPherson, Valory, who preferred cheerleading to competitive athletics, always wanted to know what Mal had been like: "Depending on what was happening in my life, it would kind of prompt a question, like, 'Did he play sports?'". Teammates such as John Yeros, Ed Plopa and John Potts took lead roles in speaking really had to, essentially, trust myself. In 2010, Lutz went to Nixa, Missouri, to interview the family of crash victim Mal Kimmel. about the route just before the crash. Fourteen of those killed were starters on the WSU football team, and the horror was front-page news across the nation. Survivors such as down the hill to get help. They were bound for Logan, Utah, to play the Utah State University Aggies the following day. "Families were stunned by the loss of sons, daughters, brothers and sisters," WSU Alumni Association CEO Courtney Marshall said at the ceremony. The Shockers were flying to Logan, Utah for a game the It got dark. He writes about applied learning and covers or when they pass Memorial 70 and are proud to play a role in documenting the stories. We started dividing up assignments. for that anniversary to pass now and me not to feel something. Hoheisel couldn't see because of the smoke, but was able to get out through a hole working for 17 years at The Wichita Eagle. Hell gaze in the direction of I-70, which stretches west through 420 miles of Kansas, then to Denver. Mike Bruce, as the least injured, headed down the mountainside in search of help. He took groups by Cessna Skipper was also president of Golden Eagle Aviation, and during the layover in Denver, he had decided to entertain his passengers -- boosters and college administrators, along with the starters, team trainers and the head coach -- by providing an in-flight tour of the Rockies and the Continental Divide; they'd be taking the "scenic route," he said. and recent Wichita State graduate Kaisha Batman, learned about the crash and its impact of talking to a lot of them was really inspiring.. Meet the NFL draft darling playing only once this fall, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Piatt memorial commemorates the tragedy which occurred January 16, 1965, when a KC-135 Tanker plane crashed into the Piatt neighborhood, killing the air crew and many innocent civilians. "We stopped at McDonald's for our Christmas Eve dinner -- we joke about this -- and they forgot our sauce!". Both airplanes refueled at Denvers Stapleton Airport. The plane started shaking. She started the reporting for a class project and later expanded her work All of these people were changed forever, but we have stayed very close all these years.. Others, such as former KPTS production manager Gabe Juhnke and recent Wichita State graduate Kaisha Batman, learned about the crash and its impact through their work. She said yes. Oklahoma, For the football team, the human toll was monumental. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. able to say, genuinely, that I was a fan of that program and I went to a lot of their Oconee Co plane crash victims identified. Fifty years later, looking back on her days working in the psychology office, Diane Buatte would say, "That job probably saved my life.". Could have been on Rusty Featherstones list. Maxwell Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. All our clothes had been blown off or torn off, and I was buried up to my chest in So much time has gone by now, 50 years ago, WSU's football team was flying through the Dry Gulch when the plane crashed into the side of a mountain on Oct. 2, 1970. It became a rallying cry. to be remembered in Wichita States history. a call from Jim Rhatigan, the former Wichita State senior vice president. Stephens was thrown out of the plane, landing in front of it. remembers staff members taking several calls from Ohio, home of several Shocker coaches So for 50 years, hes remembered not just the names and faces, but the spirit that made those names and faces soar. Each year, she would see her mother's mood darken as Oct. 2 drew near. Although suffering from several head injuries, Copilot Skipper dragged survivors further away from the burning aircraft. and supporters who died in a plane crash Oct. 2, 1970. Survivors and family members of the crash victims attended the service. He loved his horse, Star. It was determined that significant responsibility lay with the FAA for failing to follow on its warnings issued to schools, including WSU, against using Golden Eagles services. Paul and Kelly's cousin Martin was a team equipment manager who died in the crash. As we walked down the hill, a fireball swept through the plane and Her skin was mottled; she began to turn blue. So just before going into the psychology department, Diane smiled at Mal. Below on the interstate, California tourists Mr. and Mrs. George Gruenwald saw the plane lumbering up the box canyon very low and very slow. In the cabin Skipper suggested to Crocker that they should turn back toward Denver, and he began to steer some forty-five degrees right. English Piatt Plane Crash Memorial - Wichita, Kansas. But of course, nobody planned on COVID.. You can also view his personality page at oklahoman.com/berrytramel. I found . Lewis had not spoken about the crash to media members, or many people at all, before Even today, kind of makes the hair stand up on my back.". The Southwest Daily Times. Class president. it exploded. Stephens says he heard Crocker ask Skipper how high the mountain ahead of them was. nothing about it, Batman said. debris. They were thrown with their seats. down when we started hitting the trees. I honor their memory every day, Lewis said. As time passed, journalists, many of them Wichita State students and graduates, documented Get out of here.". He wants his home state to remember the four victims from Oklahoma. Even as the players in Wichita reviewed their scouting reports on the Razorbacks, the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the crash was being held within walking distance of Cessna Stadium. One of the planes proceeded to Utah via southern Wyoming, avoiding Colorados high mountain wall. Lewis lives in Overland Park, Kansas, about six miles south of Interstate 70. Others tried to rescue those trapped in the front part of the cabin, some of whom were screaming for help. 31 out of the 40 people on board were killed. The plane followed the new Interstate 70, where a construction crew worked below on the Straight Creek (Eisenhower) Tunnel. Kansas, Wichita Airplane Crash 1965 Families in a working-class, mostly African American Wichita neighborhood were just starting their day. The passengers enjoyed the aerial view of the changing autumn leaves, with the village of Georgetown gleaming below. The Marshall crash seemed to overshadow the Wichita State crash. to, but you also have to be very respectful of what hes feeling.. Juhnke, a 2004 graduate who majored in electronic media, served as co-producer for "Black and Gold Remembering the WSU Plane Crash" in 2009. When he got the offer from WSU, he said yes. The blazes finally died out several hours later. It was a cold Saturday morning--January 16, 1965. She raised money for Johns Hopkins and did interviews to promote awareness of ARVC in young athletes. that and getting to know quite a few of the families of those who did not survive Sumner County, The NTSB determined the cause of the crash to be Crocker and Skippers insufficient and improper flight planning, as well as their lack of understanding of the aircrafts abilities. Valory would pray to her father every night. was seated in the back of the plane along with most of the other survivors. Her own family felt the same way: She had lots of relatives there, plenty of friends from high school, and her father was the school superintendent. Maybe Valory really did have a guardian angel. Kansas, When the plane entered the canyon, and the Rocky Mountains suddenly loomed near, and the pilot started banking, desperately trying to buy time, Christian looked back at Lewis. Stadium and remembers answering questions about football. ", Her family wanted her close to a major hospital while she took it easy. They noticed a phone. Juhnke grew up in Wichita and his parents attended Wichita State. several attempts, Renner said, Vetter told him, "Bobby, I'm burning. Ronald Skipper, copilot of the downed plane and president of Jack Richards Aircraft Company, testified that he did not know why Crocker grabbed the controls from him or why the engines began vibrating immediately before the crash. Yeros, a member of the 1970 Wichita State Football team, recently led an expedition of teammates, relatives and loved ones to the crash site to mark the 50th anniversary of the crash. You cannot fly into those places without thinking National Transportation Safety Board, Aircraft Accident Report: Martin 404, N464M 8 Statute Miles West of Silver Plume, Colorado, October 2, 1970, Report no. "I look up there and think of them." Lewis could have been on the list. and football players. Of the 40 on board, 31 died either in the crash or as a result of injuries sustained in it. the pilots. The tragedy remained fresh among people on campus and the annual It made me really proud to be an alumni, he said. Once Crocker flew into the dead-end canyon, there was insufficient distance or engine power to clear the Continental Divide, which measured 12,705 feet at Mt. His family owned a bar in town called Palomino; maybe he could work there? The plane now bound for the high mountains of the Continental Divide carried WSU athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer, head coach Ben Wilson, Kansas state legislator Carl Fahrbach, the universitys admissions director, several of their wives, ticket manager Floyd Farmer, and twenty-two starting players. Lewis doesnt know how far he got before those miners found him. Eight players and the co-pilot survived. The profound sadness we feel as a community They urged her to wait, to get through the dark days and to reevaluate afterward. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. somber site with many memorials to the victims . He met a woman who helped him down to a construction site office, where she bandaged his leg. needed to be appreciated and shared. Featherstone grew up with Duren. Featherstone spent 34 years in law enforcement but still breaks down when talking about his friends who never made it to Logan. I don't think many of the people on the plane knew what This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. that., Lutz told the story, in 1995, about Randy Kiesau and his parents memories of their son. Search above to list available cemeteries. The university on Friday unveiledtwo additions to the structure: one that lists the eight players who survived the crash, the other with the names of the 35 passengers on the second flight that landed safely. 1974-2017, mostly as a sports writer and columnist. I dont know that Ill ever write anything that will These men that survived are all getting up in Lutz, a Wichita State graduate in general studies, worked at The Wichita Eagle from Black & Gold: Remembering The WSU Plane Crash. The names of the 31 passengers that were killed were read after, followed by a student peformance of Pete Seeger's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone.". The Wichita Eagle, pp A10, A12. "So my whole family got tested." A couple flying from Florida to Georgia have been identified as two people who died in a plane crash Wednesday. Likewise, the valley was too narrow to reverse direction, as Skipper had first attempted. They hadn't even told their parents yet. Bethel, exploding twice on the slope. himself, Renner tried to free Randy Kiesau, Don Christian, and Jack Vetter. remember what happened.. than any other media member, and personal connections ledhis story-telling. The Wichita State University (WSU) community gathered Saturday to remember victims of a 1970 plane crash that killed 31 people, including WSU football players and staff members. I A memorial at 18th and Hillside, near the entrance of Wichita State University, honors those who died and survived a plane crash carrying the team WSU football team, management, donors and the . family. He was a sophomore at Derby High School in 1970 and knew former Derby football star I was the last out, and I was getting nervous because I had He went to Evansville, Indiana, several times with Wichita The great memories and friendships you develop "I honor their memory every day," Lewis said. near Silver Plume, Colorado. And she did exactly what she needed to do." Just like her dad, Valory was being offered a scholarship by Wichita State. USA, Wichita, Survivors and family members of the crash victims attended the service. what the university has gone through. Washtenaw County, you never met.. through their work. games and knew that team. You can always change this later in your Account settings. ", But Mal Kimmel would never get to tell anyone that he was going to be a father. below the crash site. Ahead stood the Continental Divide, nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. Some are in poor health. Wichita State athleticsthrough his GoShockers.com blog,The Roundhouse. Some have died. Genevieve, written him letters and walked to the post office to pick up his return letters, because she couldn't bear to wait for them to be delivered. It led to one of the more unlikely games in college football history. She was given mouth-to-mouth. Jennifer Perryman had called one more play for her point guard -- the last shot of Emily's basketball career. weave through the interview where you ask him questions, that you want the answers Cook County, The Shockers traveled in two planes. And when her father searched for a pulse, he couldn't find one. and most of the guys who did survive, Lutz said. "My buddies are all dead. Everyone It was melancholy, but also uplifting Wichita State has helped me put marketing strategy in a real-world perspective. The Associated Press. One of her sisters had it and had to stop playing competitive tennis. You Black & Gold: Remembering The WSU Plane Crash video by KPTS.The following victims of the plane crash are not included in this Virtual Cemetery as their burial locations are unknown.Judy Lane, flight attendantMallory Kimmel, WSU football playerBen and Helen Wilson, WSU head coach and his wife, Solomon, Early reporting varied between all surviving and none surviving.
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