An American Airlines aircraft collided with an Army helicopter, resulting in a tragic incident that has reverberated through the sports community both in the U.S. and around the world. Among those on board were several members of the Skating Club of Boston who had just returned from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in Wichita, Kansas. This group included young figure skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, along with their mothers and two prominent figure skating coaches from Russia, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. Sadly, it is feared that all 64 individuals on the flight have perished.
While air travel disasters related to sports are uncommon, the consequences of such events can be devastating, affecting national programs and teams at all levels, from amateurs to professionals. A review of some notable aviation tragedies in the sports world over the years shows a pattern of sorrowful incidents.
One of the most notorious crashes occurred on February 6, 1958, when a plane carrying the Manchester United football team and its officials crashed while trying to take off from a slush-covered runway in Munich. The team was returning from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade and had stopped to refuel in Munich. Out of the 23 fatalities, eight were players from Manchester United, while England football legend Bobby Charlton survived the ordeal.
Another heartbreaking event took place on February 15, 1961, when a commercial flight with all 18 members of the U.S. Figure Skating team heading to the world championships in Prague crashed near Brussels airport, resulting in the loss of all lives on board, including six coaches and several family members.
On October 2, 1970, a tragic accident befell the Wichita State University football team, when one of two chartered jets crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado. Of the 40 passengers, 31 were killed, including 14 players, coaches, and essential staff members. The National Transportation Safety Board later attributed the crash mainly to pilot error.
A similar fate struck the Marshall University football team on November 14, 1970, when a chartered jet crashed into a hillside in foggy conditions, killing all 75 people aboard, which included 36 players, coaches, fans, and flight crew members.
On October 13, 1972, the Uruguay Rugby Club faced a devastating loss when a chartered flight crashed in the Andes Mountains, claiming 29 lives of the 45 people onboard. Survivors were forced to resort to drastic measures for survival as they awaited rescue for two months, leading to notable accounts chronicled in literature and film.
Another tragedy hit on December 13, 1977, when a chartered plane carrying the Evansville University men’s basketball team crashed moments after takeoff, claiming the lives of 29 individuals, including players and the first-year head coach.
On March 14, 1980, the U.S. amateur boxing team was lost in a plane crash en route to Poland for international competitions leading up to the Moscow Olympics, resulting in the deaths of all 87 passengers. This incident coincided with the U.S. decision to boycott the Olympics following the Soviet Union’s actions in Afghanistan.
The Zambia national soccer team faced a devastating crash on April 28, 1993, when a military aircraft transporting the team to a World Cup qualifying match met its tragic fate shortly after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 18 players and five officials.
On January 27, 2001, another tragic incident occurred when a turboprop plane carrying members of the Oklahoma State University basketball program crashed shortly after leaving the airport near Boulder, Colorado, resulting in the deaths of 10 individuals associated with the team.
More recently, on September 7, 2011, the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team experienced a catastrophic plane crash, resulting in the loss of 36 players and staff members. Preliminary investigations indicated that one of the pilots had mistakenly engaged the brakes during takeoff. Of the 45 individuals on the flight, only a flight engineer survived, but a player who initially survived ultimately succumbed to severe injuries.
