Cal Poly football team plane crash
Encyclopedia
The Cal Poly football team plane crash occurred on October 29, 1960, at 22:02 EST, when a twin-engine C-46 propliner
, registration N1244N, operated as a domestic charter flight by Arctic Pacific, carrying the California Polytechnic State University
football
team, crashed on takeoff at the Toledo Express Airport
in Toledo, Ohio
. The aircraft, a veteran of World War II
, broke in two and caught fire on impact.(if link above fails to load report, visit http://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net and select "Historical Aircraft Accident Reports (1934-1965)", then retry report link) Twenty-two of the forty-eight people on board were killed, including sixteen players, the team’s student manager and a Cal Poly football booster.
Prior to takeoff the weather at the airport steadily deteriorated; at 7 pm the visibility was 3/4 mile, at 8:37 the visibility was down to 1/16 mile, and by the time of the accident the visibility was zero. The CAB accident report states that stemming from the crash, the FAA published a notice in the Airman's Guide that prohibited takeoff for commercial aircraft when the visibility is below 1/4 mile, or the runway visual range is below 2000 ft.
The CAB issued the following Probable Cause statement in its final report:
Among the survivors was quarterback
Ted Tollner
, who went on to become head football coach of the University of Southern California and San Diego State University. At the time of the crash, Bowling Green State had been the easternmost opposing school ever to play football against Cal Poly.
The university canceled the final three games of the 1960 season.
Cal Poly alumnus and NFL Hall of Fame coach John Madden’s fear of flying
is commonly attributed to the crash, although he has said it instead stems from claustrophobia
. Madden, who played football for Cal Poly from 1957–58 and was coaching at the nearby Allan Hancock Junior College
at the time of the crash, knew many passengers aboard the plane.
As a result of the crash, Cal Poly did not play any road games outside California until 1969 (a 14-0 loss at the University of Montana-Missoula
). A bigger consequence was that Cal Poly did not play another road game east of the Rocky Mountains
until 1978 (a 17-0 loss to Winston-Salem State University
in the NCAA Division II playoffs). They would not play another regular season game east of the Rockies until 1989 (a 45-20 loss to Angelo State University
).
sponsored a "Mercy Bowl
" in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
between Fresno State
and Bowling Green State to raise a memorial fund for the survivors and bereaved families. The event raised about $200,000 from a crowd of 33,000.
pillars, one for each of the Cal Poly-affiliated individuals who died in the crash. Each pillar rises to the height of the person honored and is adorned with a plaque about that individual's life.
On September 29, 2006, the 1960 football team was inducted into the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame, and the following night former players and members of the crash victims families stood at mid-field during a half time memorial.
Propliner
A propliner is a large, propeller-driven airliner. Typically, the term is used for piston-powered airliners that flew before the beginning of the jet age, not for modern turbine-powered propeller airliners...
, registration N1244N, operated as a domestic charter flight by Arctic Pacific, carrying the California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, crashed on takeoff at the Toledo Express Airport
Toledo Express Airport
Toledo Express Airport is a passenger and cargo airport located 10 miles west of the city of Toledo in the extreme Western portion of Lucas County, Ohio, United States, near the border with Fulton County, in the townships of Swanton and Monclova. It is also a base for the Ohio Air National...
in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. The aircraft, a veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, broke in two and caught fire on impact.(if link above fails to load report, visit http://dotlibrary.specialcollection.net and select "Historical Aircraft Accident Reports (1934-1965)", then retry report link) Twenty-two of the forty-eight people on board were killed, including sixteen players, the team’s student manager and a Cal Poly football booster.
Investigation
The CAB investigated the accident and concluded that the aircraft had been overloaded by 2,000 lbs above its maximum certificated gross takeoff weight of 47,100 lbs, and that there was a partial power loss in the left engine prior to the crash.Prior to takeoff the weather at the airport steadily deteriorated; at 7 pm the visibility was 3/4 mile, at 8:37 the visibility was down to 1/16 mile, and by the time of the accident the visibility was zero. The CAB accident report states that stemming from the crash, the FAA published a notice in the Airman's Guide that prohibited takeoff for commercial aircraft when the visibility is below 1/4 mile, or the runway visual range is below 2000 ft.
The CAB issued the following Probable Cause statement in its final report:
The accident was due to loss of control during a premature lift-off. Contributing factors were the overweight aircraft, weather conditions, and partial loss of power in the left engine.
Aftermath
The pilot who made the decision to take off was flying on a license that had been revoked, but was allowed to fly pending an appeal. Following the crash, the Arctic-Pacific Company lost its certificate to charter airplanes.Among the survivors was quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Ted Tollner
Ted Tollner
Ted Alfred Tollner is a football coach who has worked as a head coach in college football and was also formerly the passing game coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.-Playing career:...
, who went on to become head football coach of the University of Southern California and San Diego State University. At the time of the crash, Bowling Green State had been the easternmost opposing school ever to play football against Cal Poly.
The university canceled the final three games of the 1960 season.
Cal Poly alumnus and NFL Hall of Fame coach John Madden’s fear of flying
Fear of flying
A fear of flying is a fear of being on an airplane , or other flying vehicle, such as a helicopter, while in flight. It is also sometimes referred to as aerophobia, aviatophobia, aviophobia or pteromerhanophobia....
is commonly attributed to the crash, although he has said it instead stems from claustrophobia
Claustrophobia
Claustrophobia is the fear of having no escape and being closed in small spaces or rooms...
. Madden, who played football for Cal Poly from 1957–58 and was coaching at the nearby Allan Hancock Junior College
Allan Hancock College
Allan Hancock College is a California public community college located in Santa Maria in northern Santa Barbara County. Approximately 11,000 credit and more than 5,500 noncredit and community services students enroll each semester.-History:...
at the time of the crash, knew many passengers aboard the plane.
As a result of the crash, Cal Poly did not play any road games outside California until 1969 (a 14-0 loss at the University of Montana-Missoula
Montana Grizzlies football
The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference, where it is a founding member, since 1963...
). A bigger consequence was that Cal Poly did not play another road game east of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
until 1978 (a 17-0 loss to Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University , a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina, is a historically black public research university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. It is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.Winston-Salem State has been...
in the NCAA Division II playoffs). They would not play another regular season game east of the Rockies until 1989 (a 45-20 loss to Angelo State University
Angelo State University
Angelo State University is a public, coeducational, doctoral level degree-granting university located in San Angelo, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1928 as San Angelo College. It gained University status and awarded its first baccalaureate degrees in 1967 and graduate degrees in 1969, the...
).
Mercy Bowl
On Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1961, Los Angeles County Supervisor Warren Dorn and Bob HopeBob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
sponsored a "Mercy Bowl
Mercy Bowl
The first Mercy Bowl was played between Fresno State University and Bowling Green State University at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California on November 23, 1961 as a special fundraiser in memory of sixteen Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo football players killed in a plane crash...
" in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
between Fresno State
Fresno State Bulldogs football
The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The green “V” on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, field symbolize California Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they...
and Bowling Green State to raise a memorial fund for the survivors and bereaved families. The event raised about $200,000 from a crowd of 33,000.
Campus memorials at Cal Poly
Memorial plaques for the crash can be found on campus at Mott Gym and the Mustang horse statue. A permanent memorial plaza opened with the new Alex G. Spanos Stadium. The memorial has 18 copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
pillars, one for each of the Cal Poly-affiliated individuals who died in the crash. Each pillar rises to the height of the person honored and is adorned with a plaque about that individual's life.
On September 29, 2006, the 1960 football team was inducted into the Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame, and the following night former players and members of the crash victims families stood at mid-field during a half time memorial.
See also
- California Polytechnic State UniversityCalifornia Polytechnic State UniversityCalifornia Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
- Southern Airways Flight 932, a crash that killed the entire Marshall UniversityMarshall UniversityMarshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
football team - Wichita State University Crash
- List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft
External links
- Mustang Memorial Plaza (PDF) - Dedication ceremony photos