The 1970 Wichita State plane crash

Two planes carrying Wichita State football players, coaches, administrators and fans refueled on Friday, Oct. 2, 1970, in Denver. The team was headed to Logan, Utah, for a game the next day against Utah State.

The pilots of the “Gold” plane changed their flight plan, deciding to give their passengers a scenic view of the Rocky Mountains. But they could not pull the overweight plane out of a box canyon. It crashed around 1 p.m. about 40 miles west of Denver on Mount Trelease.

The crash site is about a 575-mile drive from Wichita and is above I-70 on the north side of the highway and sits on public land in the Arapahoe National Forest.

The pilots of the doomed aircraft were blamed for the accident by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The “Black” plane followed the original flight plan, north toward Laramie, Wyo., to gain altitude before crossing the Rockies. It landed in Logan.

Thirty-one people died as a result of the crash: 14 players, 14 WSU staff and boosters and three crew members. Eight players and one of the pilots survived.

THE CRASH VICTIMS

Players

Marvin Brown, 19, Solomon, sophomore tailback

Don Christian, 20, Duncan, Okla., junior defensive back

John Duren, 19, Oklahoma City, sophomore end

Ron Johnson, 21, Kansas City, Mo., senior safety

Randy Kiesau, 20, Clinton, Okla., junior defensive back

Mal Kimmel, 21, St. Genevieve, Mo., senior center

Carl Krueger, 19, Chicago, sophomore tackle

Steve Moore, 21, Derby, senior linebacker

Tom Owen, 20, Temple Terrace, Fla., junior running back

Gene Robinson, 21, Dayton, Ohio, junior end

Tom Shedden, 20, Oklahoma City, junior tackle

Richard Stines, 19, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore guard

John Taylor, 21, Sherman, Texas, senior cornerback

Jack Vetter, 21, McPherson, senior tackle

WSU staff and boosters

Bert Katzenmeyer, 52, Wichita, athletic director

Marian Katzenmeyer, 52, Wichita, wife of athletic director

Ben Wilson, 44, Wichita, football coach

Helen Wilson, 44, Wichita, wife of coach

Tom Reeves, 31, Wichita, team trainer

Marty Harrison, 19, Argonia, head manager

Carl Fahrbach, 50, Wichita, dean of admissions

Floyd Farmer, 35, Wichita, ticket manager

Ray Coleman, 45, Wichita, chairman of Shocker Club

Maxine Coleman, 43, Wichita, wife of chairman

John Grooms, 42, Wichita ,won membership drive

Etta Mae Grooms, 38, Wichita, won membership drive

Ray King, 48, Hesston, state representative

Yvonne King, 41, Hesston, wife of state representative

Crew

Dan Crocker, 27, Oklahoma City, pilot

Judy Lane, 28, Oklahoma City, flight attendant

Judy Dunn, 39, Oklahoma City, flight attendant

THE 1970 SEASON

Sept. 12: Texas A&M 41, WSU 14

Sept. 19: Arkansas St. 53, WSU 14

Sept. 26: West Texas St. 43, WSU 0

Oct. 24: Arkansas 62, WSU 0

Oct. 31: Cincinnati 35, WSU 5

Nov. 7: Tulsa 21, WSU 12

Nov. 14: Memphis St. 51, WSU 6

Nov. 21: North Texas St. 41, WSU 24

Nov. 28: Louisville 34, WSU 24

This story was originally published October 2, 2014 at 8:39 AM with the headline "The 1970 Wichita State plane crash."