55 years ago on this day (1970): a charter plane carrying Wichita State football players, coaches, staff-members, and fans crashed into Mount Trelease in Colorado, killing 31 people. The accident was because of pilot error, specifically taking a scenic route into the mountains without adequate planning, resulting in the overloaded plane crashing in a box canyon west of Denver.
Among those killed was head coach Ben Wilson, and 14 players.
29 victims were deceased at the scene of the crash, and two others died afterwards from their injuries.
The team was en route to a road game at Utah State; a second charter flight arrived safely in Logan, Utah, then returned to Wichita after it was learned the other plane had crashed. The crash site was about 45 miles west of Denver, in mountainous terrain near Interstate 70, not far from the Eisenhower Tunnel. Both flights had re-fueled in Denver.
Every year on October 2nd, at 9:00 a.m., a remembrance ceremony is held on the Wichita State campus near 17th & Hillside at Memorial '70.