The Gold Plane and the Mountain: Wichita State's Football Team Gone in Colorado
·KS·otheradvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat
On October 2, 1970, one of two aircraft carrying the Wichita State University football team to a game at Utah State crashed into a Colorado mountainside near Silver Plume, killing 31 of the 40 aboard, including 14 student-athletes, coaches, boosters, and the crew. University President Clark Ahlberg received word at approximately 3:00 PM CDT and directed urgent messages to students and families gathered in Henry Levitt Arena on campus as information arrived from Colorado.
Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
31
Injured
9
Institution
Wichita State University
Public R2 · KS
~14,000 students
Confirmed Timeline
Alert Sequence
3 messages in sequence
Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.
INITIAL ALERTPA System
Approximate reconstruction·463 chars
Attention: This is an urgent message from the university. We have received word that the Gold aircraft carrying members of our football team has gone down near Silver Plume, Colorado. We do not yet have complete information on casualties or survivors. University officials and families are asked to gather in Henry Levitt Arena, where President Ahlberg will address the campus as information becomes available. Please remain calm and come together as a community.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Reconstructed to reflect the documented pattern: WSU officials gathered community members in Henry Levitt Arena and President Clark D. Ahlberg directed messages as news arrived from Colorado, per WSU News retrospective and Colorado Encyclopedia accounts
The 'Gold' plane carried the starting team, head coach, athletic director, wives, boosters, and other administrators; the 'Black' plane carrying coaches and reserves had already landed safely in Logan, Utah
KMUW radio, Wichita State's student station, received an AP bulletin about the crash; reporters walked from KMUW to Morrison Hall to confirm institutional details before broadcasting
UPDATEPhone
Approximate reconstruction·485 chars
On behalf of President Ahlberg, Wichita State University confirms the crash of the Gold team aircraft near Silver Plume, Colorado this afternoon. We have obtained a list of persons on board. University officials and the governor's office are arranging transportation for family members to travel to Colorado. Counseling and pastoral support are available in Henry Levitt Arena. We ask all members of the community to pray for the survivors and the families of those who have been lost.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
President Ahlberg obtained a passenger list by Friday evening and arranged, through Kansas Governor Robert Docking, an Air National Guard C-54 to fly families and friends to Colorado for survivor identification and support
The crash site was a remote Colorado mountain at approximately 11,500 feet elevation; rescue was delayed by terrain and weather, and the wreckage was not immediately accessible
This reconstruction reflects the modal institutional communications pattern of 1970: phone trees through department offices, radio announcements, and gathering in a central arena, not a campus-wide mass-alert system
FOLLOW-UPPA System
Approximate reconstruction·453 chars
Wichita State University announces that classes are cancelled today, Monday, October 5, in memory of the members of our community lost in the October 2 crash. A memorial service will be held this evening at Cessna Stadium. We invite all students, faculty, and staff to attend. The university extends its deepest sympathy to all families affected by this tragedy. The Shocker football family will continue the 1970 season in honor of those who were lost.
This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.
Classes were cancelled on Monday, October 5, 1970, and a memorial service was held that evening at Cessna Stadium, both confirmed by the Wichita State retrospective accounts
The surviving team voted to continue the season, which was designated the 'Second Season'; the NCAA and Missouri Valley Conference allowed freshmen to fill vacant roster spots by special permission
WSU's Memorial 70 program, still active as of 2025, honors those lost in the crash each year; the Shocker family is remembered annually at a campus ceremony
Context
Background
The Wichita State University football team plane crash is one of the deadliest aviation disasters in the history of American college sports. On October 2, 1970, two chartered aircraft were carrying the Shockers to Logan, Utah for a game against Utah State. The 'Gold' plane, carrying the starting team, head coach, athletic director, and dozens of boosters and family members, struck a 13,000-foot mountainside near Silver Plume, Colorado at approximately 3:00 PM MDT. Of the 40 aboard, 29 died at the scene; two survivors died later, bringing the total to 31 killed. Fourteen of the dead were WSU student-athletes. The 'Black' plane carrying other coaches and reserves had already landed safely. President Clark D. Ahlberg received word at approximately 3:00 PM CDT and convened the campus community in Henry Levitt Arena, directing messages as KMUW radio and the student newspaper rushed to confirm details. By Friday evening, Ahlberg had arranged through Kansas Governor Robert Docking for an Air National Guard C-54 to transport families to Colorado. In 1970, no campus-wide mass notification system existed; institutional communications relied on phone trees, department offices, radio, and public gatherings. Classes were cancelled October 5 and a memorial was held at Cessna Stadium. The surviving players voted to complete the season as the 'Second Season,' with freshmen filling the roster by NCAA special permission. WSU's Memorial 70 program continues to honor the victims each October.
Analysis
Key Findings
0131 killed (including 14 WSU football players) when the 'Gold' charter aircraft struck a Colorado mountainside near Silver Plume on October 2, 1970 at approximately 3:00 PM MDT
02Campus notification in 1970 relied on phone trees, radio announcements (KMUW), and mass gathering at Henry Levitt Arena under direction of President Ahlberg
03Kansas Governor Docking facilitated an Air National Guard C-54 to fly families to Colorado for survivor identification; the scale of state response reflected the crash's severity
04The surviving team completed the 1970 'Second Season' with freshmen by NCAA/MVC special permission, a decision of lasting symbolic importance to WSU
05All alert text is reconstructed (isVerbatimConfirmed: false); no verbatim 1970 PA or phone announcement text was recoverable
Outcome
31 killed (29 at the scene, 2 survivors died later), including 14 WSU football players, head coach, athletic director, two crew members, and boosters/family members. Nine survived. Classes cancelled October 5; memorial held at Cessna Stadium. The surviving team, nicknamed the 'Second Season,' completed the 1970 schedule with freshmen filling the roster by NCAA special permission.