On October 2, 1970, two chartered Martin 4-0-4 aircraft departed Kansas carrying the Wichita State University football team, coaches, and boosters toward a game against Utah State. The aircraft were designated 'Gold' and 'Silver.' While the 'Gold' plane stuck strictly to the standard, safe flight path north through Wyoming, the pilot in command of the 'Silver' plane decided to improvise.
Seeking to give his passengers a memorable tour of the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, he altered the flight plan to fly low through Loveland Pass and the Continental Divide in Colorado. What was meant to be a sightseeing treat quickly turned into a terrifying trap. The aircraft was severely overloaded, carrying weight far in excess of its maximum allowable limit due to heavy equipment, fuel, and poor calculations.
As the 'Silver' plane coasted deep into the narrow Clear Creek Canyon, the pilot realized the heavily burdened airliner could not gain altitude fast enough to clear the looming mountain ridge ahead. Boxed in by steep canyon walls on both sides, the plane lacked the engine performance to out-climb the terrain and was far too sluggish to execute a tight turn within the narrow valley. The airliner stalled and crashed into Mount Trelease near Silver Plume, Colorado.
Of the 40 passengers and crew aboard, 31 lost their lives, making it one of the deadliest sports-related aviation disasters in American history. The NTSB investigation placed sole blame on the flight crew for poor planning, an intentional deviation onto an unsafe flight path, and a complete failure to account for aircraft weight and high-density altitude constraints.