By Canadian Press

Plane crashes in sports have devastated pro teams and college programs

Jan 30, 2025 | 11:50 AM

The crash of an American Airlines jet that collided with an Army helicopter was the latest to strike the sports world in the U.S. and globally.

Among the passengers were several members of the Skating Club of Boston who were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. They included teenage figure skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers and two highly regarded Russian-born figure skating coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. All 64 people on board were feared dead.

Air travel accidents in sports are rare, but they have had devastating impacts on national programs, amateur teams and professional clubs.

A look at some of the plane crash tragedies that have struck the sports world over the decades:

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On Dec. 9, 1956, Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 crashed into Slesse Mountain, southeast of Chilliwack, B.C., killing all 62 aboard. The Vancouver-to-Calgary flight included five CFL players returning from the East-West All-Star Game: Saskatchewan’s Mel Becket, 27, Mario DeMarco, 32, Gordon Sturtridge, 27, and Ray Syrnyk, 22, along with Winnipeg’s Cal Jones, 23. It remains one of Canada’s worst aviation disasters.

Manchester United football club

On Feb. 6, 1958, a plane carrying the Manchester United team and officials crashed as it attempted to take off on a slush-covered runway in Munich. The team was returning from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade, and the plane stopped to refuel in Munich. Among the 23 people were killed were eight Man U players and three team officials. Among those who survived was England great Bobby Charlton.

U.S. Figure Skating team

On Feb 15, 1961, a commercial flight carrying all 18 members of the U.S. Figure Skating team to the world championships in Prague crashed near the Brussels airport, killing everyone one board. Six coaches were also on the plane, along with four team officials and six of the group’s family members.

Wichita State University football

On Oct. 2, 1970, one of two chartered jets carrying the Wichita State football team to a game in Utah crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado. Of the 40 on board, 31 died, including 14 players along with coaches, boosters, administrators, trainers and three crew members. The NTSB later said the crash could be attributed primarily to pilot error.

Marshall University football

On Nov. 14, 1970, a chartered jet carrying the Thundering Herd crashed in fog and rain into a hillside upon approach to an airport near Huntington as the team returned from a game at East Carolina. All 75 on board were killed, including 36 football players and 39 school administrators, coaches, fans, spouses and flight crew.

Uruguay rugby club

On Oct. 13, 1972, a chartered Uruguayan Air Force flight carrying the Old Christians Club from Montevideo Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, crashed in the snowy Andes Mountains. The wreckage was not found for two months and only 16 of the 45 people on board survived. Facing snow storms, avalanches and starvation, survivors awaiting rescue were forced to eat the flesh of those who had died, and their ordeal has been chronicled in books and movies.

Evansville University basketball

On Dec. 13, 1977, an Air Indiana chartered plane with the Evansville University men’s basketball team crashed 90 seconds after takeoff from the Evansville airport. The 29 people killed included 14 players and first-year head coach Bobby Watson.

U.S. Boxing team

On March 14, 1980 the U.S. amateur boxing team was flying from New York to Poland for international events ahead of the 1980 Moscow Olympics when their plane crashed near Warsaw. All 87 on board were killed, including 14 boxers and eight team staff members. Two months later, the U.S. decided to boycott the Olympics due to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.

Zambia national soccer team

On April 28, 1993, a military aircraft carrying Zambia’s national soccer team to a World Cup qualifying match crashed into the sea minutes after takeoff from Libreville, Zambia. The team was on its way to play Senegal in the second round of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup. Eighteen players and five team officials were killed.

Oklahoma State University basketball

On Jan. 27, 2001, a turboprop plane carrying 10 men associated with the Oklahoma State University basketball team, including players Nate Fleming and Daniel Lawson, crashed shortly after takeoff near Boulder, Colorado, after the Cowboys had played at the University of Colorado. Six team staffers and broadcasters also were killed.

Russian ice hockey team

On Sept. 7, 2011, 36 players, coaches and staff of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team were killed when their plane crashed near Yaroslavl in central Russia. Investigators said one of the two pilots accidentally put the wheel brakes on during takeoff. Of the 45 people on board, 44 died. The only player who survived the initial crash later died of burns. A flight engineer was the sole survivor.

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Associated Press reporters Dave Skretta in Kansas City, Missouri, Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City, and Eric Olson in Omaha, Nebraska contributed.

With files from The Canadian Press.

Jim Vertuno, The Associated Press