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	1980s

1970 Wichita State Football Crash Memorial: Pictures

By Patrick Mondout

On October 2, 1970, a twin-engine Martin 404 carrying Wichita State football players and fans to a game in Utah struck treetops and crashed into the base of Mount Trelease ten miles west of Georgetown, Colorado resulting in the deaths of 31 of 40 aboard.

Our primary article on this tragedy is here. This page contains a passenger list plus pictures of the area around the crash site and the memorial at the edge of Interstate 70.

		I-70 Memorial

The memorial is near the crash site just off westbound I-70 about a mile east of the Eisenhower Tunnel. The memorial is very difficult to spot as their is no signage indicating its presence and you have to be driving slowly past the area or you may miss it.

Picture by Patrick Mondout, September 17, 2005

		I-70 Memorial

The top of the memorial reads: "As time goes by, memories fade. But we will never forget..." and the it lists each of the victims of the crash. The bottom reads "The Wichita State football team and supporters who lost their lives on this mountain October 2, 1970."

Picture by Patrick Mondout, September 17, 2005

		I-70 Memorial

A message for "Ronnie Gene" (Ronald G. Johnson) is among the items left at the memorial by visitors.

Picture by Patrick Mondout, September 17, 2005

		I-70 Memorial

The location of the memorial as seen from space in 1979.

Image courtesy of the USGS

		Wreckage on Mt. Trelease

As is often the case with old airplane crash sites, wreckage still litters the area. The crash site itself is a good 400 feet up the mountain. If you have a GPS device, it is located at approximately: 39.69325, -105.8819 (decimal).

Picture by Greg Records, June, 2005 (used with permission)

Passengers and Crew

Age	Name	Notes
28	Judy Lane	flight attendant from Oklahoma City (had become a flight attendant after completing training only a month before, died at scene)
39	Judy Dunn	flight attendant from Oklahoma City (was a friend of other flight attendant and not officially a member of the crew though she assisted Judy Lane, died at scene)
27	Danny Crocker	pilot, Oklahoma City (died at scene)
19	Marvin Brown	player (running back, #26), Solomon, Kansas (died at scene)
20	Don Christian	player (defensive back, #44), Duncan, Oklahoma (died at scene)
19	John Duren	player (end, #84), Oklahoma City (died at scene)
21	Ronald G. Johnson	player (safety, #25), Platte City, Missouri (died at scene)
20	Randy Kiesau	player (defensive back, #43), Clinton, Oklahoma (died at scene)
21	Malory 'Mal' Kimmel	player (center, #53), St. Genevieve, Missouri (died at scene)
19	Carl Krueger	player (tackle, #73), Chicago (died at scene)
21	Steve Moore	player (linebacker, #34), Derby, Kansas (died at scene)
20	Thomas B. Owen, Jr.	player (running back, #49), Temple Terrace, Florida (died at scene)
21	Eugene 'Gene' Robinson	player (end, #42), Dayton, Ohio (died at scene)
20	Tom Shedden	player (tackle, #78), Oklahoma City (died at scene)
19	Richard 'Rick' Stines	player (guard, #63), Kansas City, Kansas (died at scene)
21	Jack Vetter	player (tackle, #70), McPherson, Kansas (died at scene)
45	Ray Coleman	Membership Chairman, WSU Shocker Club, West Frankfort, Illinois (died at scene)
43	Maxine Coleman	wife of Ray, St. Joseph, Arkansas (died at scene)
50	Dr. Carl Fahrbach	Director of Admissions, WSU, Berryton, Kansas (died at scene)
35	Floyd Farmer	WSU's Associate Athletic Director, Lincoln, Nebraska (died at scene)
38	Etta Mae Grooms	wife of John, Hamilton, Kansas (died at scene)
42	John Grooms	banker, Chanute, Kansas (died at scene)
19	Martin 'Marty' Harrison	Student Equipment Manager, Argonia, Kansas (died at scene)
52	Bert Katzenmeyer	WSU's athletic director, Ellwood City, Pennsylvania (died at scene)
52	Marion Katzenmeyer	wife of Bert, Detroit, Michigan (died at scene)
48	Raymond King	Republican state legislator, Hesston, Kansas (died at scene)
41	Yvonne King	wife of Raymond, McComb, Mississippi (died at scene)
44	Ben Wilson	head coach, Cadiz, Ohio (died at scene)
44	Helen Wilson	wife of Ben, Detroit, Michigan (died at scene)
21	John Taylor	player (cornerback, #24), Sherman, Texas (died 24 days later in hospital)
30	Tom Reeves	WSU trainer, Concordia, Kansas (died a few days later in hospital)
35	Ronald G. Skipper	first officer on flight, president of the charter airline (survived)
21	Mike Bruce	player, Sherman, Texas (survived)
21	John Hoheisel	player, Garden Plain, Kansas (survived)
21	Randy Jackson	player, Atlanta, Texas, Survived and went on to play three season in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills (where he was a 4th round pick in 1972), San Francisco 49ers, and Philadelphia Eagles
20	Glenn Kostal	player, Chicago (survived)
20	David Lewis	player, Duncan, Oklahoma (survived)
21	Keith Morrison	player, Hawkins, Texas (survived)
21	Robert Renner	player, Garden Plain, Kansas (survived)
22	Rich Stevens	player, Andover, Kansas (survived with a dislocated hip, broken leg, crushed sternum and burns)
Age	Name	Notes

Source: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report.

Air Safety References:
Bartelski, Jan. Disasters in the Air: Mysterious Air Disasters Explained. Airlife Publishing: England, 2001.
Beaty, David. The Naked Pilot: The Human Factor in Aircraft Accidents. Airlife Publishing: England, 1996.
Cushing, Steven. Fatal Words: Communication Clashes and Aircraft Crashes University of Chicago Press: Chicago, 1997.
Faith, Nicholas. Black Box: The Air-Crash Detectives-Why Air Safety Is No Accident. Motorbooks International, 1997.
Gero, David. Aviation Disasters: The World's Major Civil Airliner Crashes Since 1950. Sutton, 2003.
Job, Macarthur. Air Disaster (Volume 1). Aerospace Publications: Fyshwick, Australia, 1995.
Job, Macarthur. Air Disaster (Volume 2). Aerospace Publications: Fyshwick, Australia, 1996.
Job, Macarthur. Air Disaster (Volume 3). Aerospace Publications: Fyshwick, Australia, 1999.
Krause, Shari Stamford. Aircraft Safety: Accident Investigations, Analyses & Applications. McGraw Hill, New York, 1996.
Macpherson, Malcolm. The Black Box : All-New Cockpit Voice Recorder Accounts Of In-flight Accidents. New York: William Morrow, 1998.
Macpherson, Malcolm. On a Wing and a Prayer: Interviews with Airline Disaster Survivors. Perennial, 2002.
Owen, David. Air Accident Investigation, 2nd Edition. Motorbooks International, 2002.
Stewart, Stanley. Emergency! - Crisis on the Flight Deck, 2nd Edition. Airlife Publishing, England, 2003.
Walters, James M. Aircraft Accident Analysis: Final Reports. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2000.
Wells, Alexander T. Commercial Aviation Safety, 3rd Edition. McGraw-Hill Professional, 2001.

DISASTER DETAILS

		Loveland Pass itself is at 11,990 feet. The Martin 404 had no chance of gain nearly 1000 feet so quickly.
		Image courtesy of the USGS
		Airline: Golden Eagle Aviation
		Location: Near Silver Plume, Colorado
		Aircraft: Marin 4-0-4
		Date: October 2, 1970
		Total Fatalities: 31 of 40

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