Wichita State University football team plane crash
A Martin 4-0-4, circa 1981, in Florida Airlines livery. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 2, 1970 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error |
| Site | Clear Creek County, Colorado 8 miles (13 km) west of Silver Plume, near the Loveland Ski Area 39°41′36″N 105°52′57″W / 39.69333°N 105.88250°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Martin 4-0-4 |
| Operator | Golden Eagle Aviation Inc |
| Registration | N464M |
| Flight origin | Wichita Mid-Continent Airport |
| Stopover | Stapleton International Airport |
| Destination | Logan-Cache Airport |
| Occupants | 40 |
| Passengers | 37 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 31 |
| Injuries | 9 |
| Survivors | 9 |
Location in the western United States
In clear and calm weather in Colorado at 1:14 p.m. MDT on Friday, October 2, 1970, a chartered Martin 4-0-4 airliner crashed into a mountain eight miles (13 km) west of Silver Plume. Operated by Golden Eagle Aviation Inc., the twin-engine propliner carried 37 passengers and a crew of three, of whom 29 were killed at the scene and two later died of their injuries while under medical care.
It was one of two aircraft carrying the 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team to Logan, Utah for a game against Utah State. The second aircraft flew a conventional route and arrived safely in Utah. Pilot error, including inadvisable in-flight decisions and inadequate preflight planning, was identified as the probable cause of the crash.