Rick Stephens, sitting toward the front, was ejected. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Early reporting varied between all surviving and none surviving. hearings, funerals, lawsuits and the teams game against Arkansas in Little Rock a One of the planes proceeded to Utah via southern Wyoming, avoiding Colorados high mountain wall. Explore the most popular trails in my list plane crash trails with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Today, wreckage from the crash remains on the slope of Mt. 1 NFL draft picks were like as college football recruits: Only how many five-stars?! The starters generally flew on the gold plane, but Featherstone mistakenly still was assigned to the black plane for the trip. "She had his hair. For 50 years, those Shockers have assembled in October to commemorate the lives lost. Paul and Kelly Harrison help plane crash survivor Rick Stephens hike up the steep Rocky Mountain grade to the site of the Wichita State University football team plane crash Stephens survived 50 years ago. KMUW is still available on 89.1 fm. by tragedy. The slow speed resulted in eleven passengers surviving the crash, but twenty-nine died on impact and another two succumbed to wounds afterward. Emily would head off to college in excellent health. Judy Lane, flight attendant Mallory Kimmel, WSU football player Ben and Helen Wilson, WSU head coach and his wife 27 memorials Page of 2 Marvin G Brown Jr. 1 Oct 1951 - 2 Oct 1970 Prairie Mound Cemetery 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, Stephens was thrown out of the plane, landing in front of it. I looked out the window, and it looked like 10 feet below me was the trees. seen flickers of smoke and fire. the crash and its aftermath. of talking to a lot of them was really inspiring.. I could talk for hours about my memories, Featherstone said. Phone calls started coming in to KMUW, many from other campus radio stations. To get plenty of manpower to Utah, WSU chartered two planes and crews from Oklahoma City-based Golden Eagle Aviation Company, with each plane holding some forty people. I don't think many of the people on the plane knew what (1995, October 3). + Caption. Lewis had not spoken about the crash to media members, or many people at all, before The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) immediately appointed four investigative teams headed by experts from Washington, DC, to study the wrecked aircraft, its operations and maintenance, and any human factors. Lutz, B. "I wanted her to know what a wonderful person he was. The hour documentary aired on Public Broadcasting Service station KPTS. Grading big trades during the NFL draft: Who won the D'Andre Swift deal? You Because Wichita State ended its football program in 1986. Her buzzer-beater off the glass drove the crowd into a frenzy. Lewis leg was so badly damaged, his foot was hanging sideways. I heard a rumble. When the door opened to their floor, she staggered out, breathing heavily, before collapsing onto the carpet. She started the reporting for a class project and later expanded her work The Denver Post, pp. In mid-December, while shooting around at the gym, Emily fainted and spent a night in the ICU. Knapp, as a student, gave tours for the admissions department. USA, Derby, I dont know that Ill ever write anything that will They noticed a phone. She said yes. Diane would recount how Mal's skills and quiet leadership at center earned him notice early on from college football recruiters. my signature story, he said. There was a problem getting your location. The years drive a wedge between survivors linked USA, Henry, and recent Wichita State graduate Kaisha Batman, learned about the crash and its impact 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.". But I was looking out the window. He was a chick magnet. She'd come through another long procedure at Johns Hopkins in time for an emotional senior night, when Emily would be on the court again. Ahead stood the Continental Divide, nearly 13,000 feet above sea level. NTSB-AAR-71-4 (Washington, DC: National Transportation Safety Board, 1970). Christian sat two rows ahead of Lewis. A roadside memorial plaque listing the names of the victims is located near the Colorado crash site, adjacent to westbound Interstate 70. Many of the 1970 Shockers have traveled to the crash site over the years, making the difficult climb to shed tears, leave mementos, offer prayers. ON THE MORNING of Oct. 2, 1970, 21-year-old Malory W. Kimmel drove away from Wichita State University's Jardine Hall, heading for the Field House nearby. that and getting to know quite a few of the families of those who did not survive Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. With Rick, we Johnny Duren, wide receiver, John Marshall High School. nothing about it, Batman said. It became a story about the people and the survivors and the families, he said. Kennedy On the night of Oct. 24, some 40,000 filled War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock as WSU's substitutes and undersized first-year players took the field. The Wichita Eagle, pp A10, A12. He was excited: The coaches had told Mal that after two seasons as the team's long snapper, he'd be starting at center on Saturday. Cook County, Awakening disoriented, he later recalled being under a lot of people and wreckage. Survivors of the crash were players Mike Bruce, John Hoheisel, Randy Jackson, Glenn Kostal, Dave Lewis, Keith Morrison, Bob Renner, Rick Stephens and co-pilot Ronald Skipper. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. The players helped each other stumble away from the wreckage, then collapsed some twenty feet away. All our clothes had been blown off or torn off, and I was buried up to my chest in head coach at 38 after the crash, for a rare look into the memories of Seaman and his family. She had ARVC, a rare heart condition linked to multiple cases of sudden death in young athletes immediately after intense physical activity -- a condition usually undiagnosed until their autopsies. "You're still holding out hope through all that. Juhnke grew up in Wichita and his parents attended Wichita State. She was given mouth-to-mouth. The first lawsuit was filed five days after the crash. (Linda Renner Wilson) and others. 14 players, 17 others. Mal. A flight attendant spilled the refreshments she was carrying. But after The crash killed 31 passengers, including 14 players. As he boarded the Gold Plane for the first time with the rest of the starting 22, Mal had a secret: His wife, Diane, was pregnant with the couple's first child. "They gave me such good guidance," Diane would say. Valory opened the door of the condo just as Emily lost consciousness. The Wichita Eagle, pp A10, A12. before, said Batman, who teaches video production at Dodge City High School. 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. 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. Just before the crash, the FAA had adopted stricter rules for air taxi firms, mandating improved maintenance, training, and aircraft safety-check standards. His trip to the cockpit had saved his life. Lewis was sitting in the back of the plane, having migrated there in hopes he might entice a flight attendant to sit by him. We Are Marshall. Marshall football rebounded and has thrived. Just like Mal Kimmel, Jack Vetter was 21 years old. He wants his home state to remember the four victims from Oklahoma. Pat Suellentrop, Remembering the 1970 Wichita State Football Plane Crash, The Wichita Eagle, October 1, 2015. Photo by Travis Heying via Paul Harrison the aftermath of the tragedies at Wichita State and Marshall (also in 1970). Mal wasn't sure he wanted to go to college until he made all-conference his senior year. I Colorado.. It was both a wry prophecy and a tribute to her late father, whom she seemed to favor. Mal wrote Diane that he was frustrated with his progress: "Way too slow, way too slow to move up on the totem pole: That was a big adjustment, when he had always been one of the top players. Consequently, lawsuits were filed against WSU and its intercollegiate athletics association. Just before the plane smashed into the mountainside at more than 110 mph, before he was flung to the cabin floor and lost consciousness, Rick Stephens glanced where he had been sitting and saw Mal Kimmel, eyes closed, asleep. The crash spurred the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to review and revise its regulations concerning air taxi services, and public pressure forced it to perform its inspection duties more diligently. somber site with many memorials to the victims . to realization that we had stopped, there was a kind of surrealness about the situation. Survivors Crash victims Players Marvin Brown, 19, Solomon, sophomore tailback Don Christian, 20, Duncan, Okla., junior defensive back John Duren, 19, Oklahoma. To use this feature, use a newer browser. By junior year, Emily was on her way: all-everything in her region, with a college scholarship to a Division II school in Kansas City. Maybe he's just stunned and they haven't found him yet, she thought. After the plane crash, when so much about her life was in turmoil, everyone seemed certain what Diane should do. about the route just before the crash. She wanted to more about the events and how they affected her On Oct. 2, 1970, Wichita State sent its football team in two planes to a game at Utah State. Kansas, Genevieve, when he said he needed to show her where he wanted to be buried -- in the shade of some pines that dotted an open field. "I was honestly kind of surprised she went," Perryman said, "but I get it.". The two would marry, move to Nixa, Missouri, and have four children. "I said to our assistants, 'Something is seriously wrong with Emily.'". We dropped that quickly. John, we thank you.". To its passengers, the plane seemed quite low, and some of them heard the pilot announce that it was taking the scenic route through the Rocky Mountains. We started dividing up assignments. For me, it goes even a little Maybe he's hurt and they gotta keep looking. Valory watched as her husband performed CPR on their 18-year-old. The Wichita State University Football Team Airplane Crash Collection contains various documentsrelating to the airplane crash that took place on October 2, 1970, when members of the WSU footballteam, staff and friends were killed in the Colorado mountains near Denver. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Once there, the senior parked his car and joined his WSU teammates as they piled onto buses for a ride to the local airport, where two small prop planes were waiting to fly the Shockers to Logan, Utah, for their game the next day against Utah State. Updated: 5:33 PM MDT October 2, 2020. Has won three Sports Emmys and six Edward R. Murrow Awards, as well as a Prism, a Gracie, and a National Headliner Award. On 2 October 1970, a twin-engine plane carrying Wichita State University football players, staff and supporters crashed near Loveland Pass enroute to a game in Utah. Oconee Co plane crash victims identified. "Black and Gold Remembering the WSU Plane Crash", the tragedies at Wichita State and Marshall. IT'S BEEN CALLED college football's forgotten tragedy. She answered the phone, and her son explained what had happened. ", Her family wanted her close to a major hospital while she took it easy. Diane Thomas Kimmel had known Mal since junior high, dated him all through high school in Ste. Bob Renner was recorded to have been in the wreckage the longest. about the crash in the Sunflower. Emily's siblings called 911. returned to help as many as they could. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. I didnt feel like I could understand the impact of the story without being there, weave through the interview where you ask him questions, that you want the answers ", But Mal Kimmel would never get to tell anyone that he was going to be a father. And terrified. . He heard people moaning from inside the plane, but it Team '70, those Shockers call their fallen teammates. Lewis and Donnie Christian were best friends in Duncan. A system error has occurred. I found Aviation Accident Database & Synopses. He was a sophomore at Derby High School in 1970 and knew former Derby football star As it turned out, the Oct. 2, 1970 plane crash killed 31 people 14 players, 14 staff, And he'd slip up every now and then," she recalls, "and say something very touching. Paul Suellentrop joined Wichita State University Strategic Communications in 2017after to be remembered in Wichita States history. After they parted, she began climbing the three or four flights of stairs that led to the office where she had worked 30 hours a week as a secretary since coming to school: the WSU psychology department. They know that at some point, the memorials and memories will burn only in their souls. Dehard has not added any memorials to this virtual cemetery. Adapted from Ariana Harner, Scenic Route Through the Rockies: The Wichita State University Tragedy, Colorado Heritage Magazine 18, no. "I said, 'No matter what, you take the shot. The ceremony also acknowledged John Putt, who, at 12 years, old, was a member of the Alpine Rescue Team that went to the scene 50 years ago. For the football team, the human toll was monumental. The last thing John Hoheisel remembers before the crash is looking out the window and watching the plane's wing remember what happened.. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. The Black Plane, with the team's reserves and assistant coaches on board, took a direct route to Logan. Bethel. Diane and Valory returned to Wichita State in 1990, 20 years after the crash, for a commemoration on campus. [18] A trail to the wreck site via Dry Gulch is 0.4 miles past the memorial off exit 216. ", Five months pregnant, phoning Mal's anguished parents whenever there was news, Diane would wait all that Friday night through "absolute chaos" at the Field House for word on possible survivors. Rick Stephens and Dave Lewis spoke about their ordeal and grief with the same intentions. Genevieve, Missouri, to the rural life he'd known before Wichita State. Each year, she would see her mother's mood darken as Oct. 2 drew near. I dont want em to be forgotten.. WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Marking 50 years since the plane crash involving members of the Wichita State University football team killed 31, the university on Friday held its annual ceremony of . reviewed Wichita State Plane Wreck. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Lewis, wearing only a necktie and still in shock, tried to scoot down on his butt. Traveling in . Even more than the grief and sadness and loss, what Diane felt most of all was fear: "What happens next? He writes about applied learning and covers Our experts answer 6 portal questions, College football reporters' NFL draft takeaways, Badgers' Allen facing concealed weapon charge, USF RB facing charge for felony domestic battery, Deion 'ashamed' after only 1 HBCU player drafted, Spartans QB Thorne, WR Coleman enter portal, Philly Dawgs: Eagles add Ringo to UGA draft haul, Biden salutes Air Force for fall success over rivals, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', College football Future Power Rankings: Defenses, Ranking college football's 10 best running backs for 2023. Mike Bruce, a crash survivor, and John Straka, who was on the plane that landed safely, laid a wreath on the 50-yard line. Wichita State Crash Survivor Relives Details - The Oklahoman Crash site an important memorial for 'Gold Plane' family - Clear Creek Courant Triumph and tragedy: Scotties grad Barkell starred at Wichita State, recalls plane crash - Herald-Standard Ron Johnson, 21, Kansas City, Mo., Senior S "Many young children were devastated by the loss of one or both parents.". When Featherstone left John Marshall, Duren was a runt on the B team. The plane started shaking. 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. Both airplanes refueled at Denver's Stapleton Airport. I felt really, really honored to share their story, said Abigail Beckman, a former This browser does not support getting your location. 44 years after the October 2, 1970 crash, gnarled aluminum and crumpled metal gears are eerily unrusted. The search for corpses in the wreckage continued until midnight, then renewed on Sunday morning. It kind of made me feel like I was part of the family He remembers slowly waking up, feeling cool air and seeing a pine forest. Hearing the full story and feeling She did all of it without ever setting foot inside his dorm room (school rules, team rules). seats and wreckage and three of his best friends were pinned near him. I wish it had been a cathartic process for those guys, but I always felt their pain, Donnie was the strongest guy I ever met, Lewis said. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. You can also view his personality page at oklahoman.com/berrytramel. Duren told Featherstone there was an empty seat on the black plane. I mean, you know better, but you don't.". They hadn't even told their parents yet. Oklahoma, We ranked college football's top 37 spring transfers: Who tops the list? out through a hole near the front of the aircraft before it exploded. Tom Shedden, offensive tackle, Putnam City High School. Press, Kennedy recalls, embargoed the story until reporters learned more details. So much time has gone by now, Black & Gold: Remembering The WSU Plane Crash. Greenwood County, with filming and production of the 9-minute video.
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