Famous People Who Died in Aviation Accidents
1960s

Date/Time Person Location Aircraft Details Notes
Feb 25, 1960
13:07
U.S. Navy Band Rio de Janeiro, Brazil R-6D-1
131582
cn: 43685-307
Midair collision with a REAL DC-3 at 5,000 ft. Total of 61 killed on both planes, details in
database
Jul 16 1960
1538
Members of the Danish Soccer Association Copenhagen, Denmark de Havilland DH-89 Dragon Rapide Crashed after taking off in poor weather condtions. Eight members of the Danish Soccer Association killed.  
Aug 29, 1960 David Diop
33, French West African poet
Off Dakar, Senegal Air France
Flight 343
Lockheed 1049G
F-BHBC  cn:4622
Crashed into the Atlantic Ocean after an unsuccessful landing attempt. Possible structural failure due to turbulence or distraction of the flight crew associated with a lighting strike.  
Oct 29, 1960
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo football team Toledo, Ohio Arctic Pacific AL
Curtiss C-46F-1-CU
N1244N  cn:22458
Crashed while taking off.  Premature liftoff, partial loss of power in the No.1 engine, overweight.  22 of 48 aboard killed. 16 team members killed. details in
database
Feb 15, 1961
10:05
U.S. figure skating team Near Brussels, Belgium Sabena
Flight 548
Boeing 707-320
OO-SJB  cn:17624
Nosed down and crashed after executing a go-around.  Failure of the aircraft's flying controls. All 72 aboard killed. 18 team members killed. details in
database
Apr 3, 1961
Green Cross Chilean soccer team Llico, Chile LAN
Flight 310
Douglas DC-3
CC-C-LDP  cn:9716 
Crashed in the Las Lastimas Mountains. Possibly icing.  Official cause unknown.  All 24 aboard killed. details in database
Sep 17, 1961
22:13
Dag Hammarskjöld
56, U.N. Secretary General
Ndola, Zambia Douglas DC-6B
SE-BDY
cn:43559
Crashed into jungle. Rumors persist alleging that victims were shot prior to the crash or that a bomb was onboard. All 16 aboard killed. details in
database
Jan 25, 1962 Donald Nutter
47, Governor of Montana
Wolf Creek, Montana
Douglas C-47 Crashed in snow storm. The plane went out of control in turbulent weather and crashed in a mountain canyon All 6 aboard killed.  
Mar 1, 1962
10:09
Johnny Dieckman
35, world fly-casting champion
New York, NY American Airlines
Boeing 707
Flilght 1
N7506A
cn: 17633/12
Crashed into Jamacia Bay after the plane experiencing a rudder malfunction. All 95 aboard killed. details in
database
Apr 12, 1962 Ron Flockhart
39, Scottish race car driver
Near Melbourne, Australia Mustang P-51 Lost control of a borrowed plane he was flying.  The aircraft emerged from cloud cover, in a spin and crashed.  Pilot error.  Lack of IFR flying experience.  
Oct 6, 1962
18:00
Tom Slick
46, Texas millionaire,  cryptozoologist
Dell, Montana, Beechcraft Bonanza 35 The Texas millionaire who financed expeditions in search of Big Foot was killed in an airplane crash that some say was under suspicious circumstances.  
Oct 7, 1962 Clement Miller
46, California U.S. Rep.
Near Eureka, California Piper Avalanche
Crashed into Chapparal Mountain in a storm during a campaign flight. All 3 aboard killed.  
Mar 5, 1963
18:20
Patsy Cline
30, county western singer
Hawkshaw Hawkins
39, country western singer
Cowboy Copas
49, country western singer
Camden, Tennessee Piper Comanche
N7000P
cn:24-2144
The plane took off from Dyersburg and flew into a storm. The pilot was not instrument rated and lost control and crashed after entering an area of stormy weather. Randy Hughes, Cline's manager also killed. All 4 aboard killed.
details in
database
Feb 15, 1964
10:00
Ken Hubbs
22, baseball player, Chicago Cubs 2nd baseman
Near Provo, Utah Cessna 172D
N2970U
Hubbs used poor judgment in continued VFR flight into adverse weather conditions. 2 killed.  
Jul 31, 1964
16:52
Jim Reeves
40, country western singer
Near Nashville, Tennessee Beechcraft 35-B33 Debonair
N8972M
Piloted by Reeves, the plane crashed in an area of thunderstorms into dense woods 10 miles south of Nashville en route from Batesville to Nashville. It took 2 days to find the wreckage. Pilot error. VFR flight into adverse weather conditions. His manager, Dean Manuel, also killed. 2 killed.

details in
database
Oct 23, 1964
11:55
Harold "David" Box
21, rock & roll singer
Houston Texas Cessna 172 Skyhawk
N2142Y
The plane crashed nose first into the ground and overturned.  Cause undetermined. All 4 aboard killed.  
Oct 31, 1964 Theodore Freeman
34, U.S. astronaut
Houston, Texas T-38 trainer Killed while attempting to land at Ellington Air Force Base following a proficiency flight.  Struck a snow goose which shattered the canopy and debris entering both engines.  He ejected but was too low for his chute to fully deploy.   
Jul 8 1965
05:51
Albert "Paul" Mantz
61, movie stunt pilot
Winterhaven, California Phoenix P-1
N93082
Killed while filming the movie "The Flight of the Phoenix" when his plane broke apart on landing after he misjudged his altitude. Alcoholic impairment of efficiency and judgment. He took the place of stunt pilot Frank Tallman who was injured. Tallman later died in another accident in 1978. 1 killed.
Nov 11, 1965
17:52
William "Bill" Linderman
45, world champion rodeo cowboy
Salt Lake City, Utah United Air Lines
Boeing B-727
N7030U
cn: 18322/130
The plane crashed short of the runway after the captain made too high of a descent during the approach. 43 out of 91 aboard killed.
details in database
Dec 12, 1965
13:00
Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace II
NASA doctor in the early space program
Near Aspen, Colorado Beechcraft B95
N9975R
Flying on the Cutter Air Service, the pilot became disoriented and flew into a blind canyon. Lovelace's wife was also killed. 3 killed.  
Jan 24, 1966
c 08:00
Hombi Bhabha
father of India's nuclear program
Mt. Blanc, Switzerland Air India
Flight 101
Boeing 707-437
VT-DMN cn:18055/200
Descended below minimum safe altitude and crashed into Mt. Blanc. Miscalculation by the crew of their position.  All 117 killed. details in database
Feb 28, 1966
Elliot See Jr.
39, U.S. astronaut
Charles Bassett II
35, U.S. astronaut
St. Louis, Missouri T-38 jet fighter Killed during an instrument landing approach at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation's plant. Came in too low and slow, hit the afterburners and crashed into the roof of a building.  
May 1, 1966
Nicholas Piantanida
34, Balloonist
  Balloon Died four months later after enduring a severe explosive  decompression of his spacesuit on board Strato Jump III at 57,600 feet in his third quest to acquire the world record for a skydiving jump.  
Apr 13, 1966
 
Abdul Salam Arif
45, President of Iraq
Southern Iraq Helicopter Died mysteriously in a helicopter accident. Reported to have gone down in a thunderstorm.  
Jul 24, 1966
18:27
Tony Lema
32, pro golfer
Near Munster, Indiana Beechcraft H50
N538B
Crashed after both engines failed due to fuel starvation. The plane came to rest in a shallow pond on the golf course. Lima was on a Buick promotional tour. Wife, Betty, also killed. All 4 aboard killed. details in
database
Jan 27, 1967 Virgil Grissom, 41
Edward White, 37 
Roger Chaffee, 32

U.S. astronauts
Cape Canaveral, Florida Apollo spacecraft Killed during the simulated launch of an Apollo I spacecraft. Short circuit in a 100%oxygen atmosphere caused a flash fire. 3 killed.  
Apr 24, 1967 Vladimir Komarov, 40
Cosmonaut
Russia Soyuz I Parachute lines tangled during re-entry. Crashed to ground. First person to die while on a space mission.  
Jul 19, 1967 John T. McNaughton
U.S. Navy Secretary designate
Hendersonville, North Carolina Piedmont Airlines
Boeing 727-22
N68650  cn:18295
Collided with a Cessna 310 while attempting to land. All 82 aboard killed which included McNaughton's wife and son. details in
database
Sep 3, 1967
Mohammed bin Laden
73, father of Osama bin Laden
Usran, Saudi Arabia Beechcraft 18
HZ-IBN
Bin Laden landed at Khamis Mushayt airport in his HS125, changed planes to his Beechcraft 18, and took off for the landing strip near Usran which had been cut out of the rough terain by his workers so that he could land and inspect the work in progress. He crashed trying to land on the mountain strip. 2 killed.  
Oct 5, 1967 Clifton Williams Jr.
35, astronaut
Near Tallahassee, Florida T-38 jet fighter A mechanical failure caused his control to malfunction.  
Nov 4, 1967 June Thorburn
36, actress
Fernhurst, England Iberia Airlines
Caravelle 10R
EC-BDD  cn:202/204
The aircraft descended too low and flew into the southern slope of Black Down Hill. details in
database
Nov 15, 1967 Michael Adams
37, test pilot
California North American X-15 Killed while testing the X-15.  The plane went into a spin and dive while re-entering.  The aircraft disintegrated after reaching 15 Gs.   
Dec 8, 1967 Robert Lawrence
32, astronaut
Edwards Air Force Base, California F-104 Starfighter Crashed while performing maneuvers.   
Dec 10, 1967
15:25
Otis Redding
26, singer
Near Madison, Wisconsin Beechcraft H18
N390R
cn:BA-623
Went into a spin and crashed into icy Lake Monona in fog. Undetermined cause Four members of his Bar-Kays band also killed. 5 of 6 aboard killed. details in
database
Mar 27, 1968
Yuri Gagarin
34, Soviet cosmonaut
Near Moscow, Russia MiG 15 UTI Crashed 30 miles east of Moscow, while training in a military fighter.  He was the first man in space. 2 killed. details in
database
Apr 28, 1968
00:15
Lamar Tech Track Team Near Beaumont, Texas Beech 65
N968Q
Impacted the ground and caught fire.  Cause undetermined. All six members of the team, along with the pilot killed.  
Mar 16, 1969 Nestor Chavez
22, baseball player, San Francisco Giants pitcher
Maracaibo, Venezuela Venezolana Inter. de Aviacion
Flight 742
DC-9-32
YV-C-AVD  cn:47243
Struck power lines while taking off. Incorrect information supplied to crew.  All 84 aboard and 70 on the ground killed.  details in database
Apr 27 1969
 
Rene Barrientos
49, President of Bolivia
Near Arque Village, Bolivia Helicopter The helicopter struck high tension wires and crashed. 3 killed.  
Jun 4, 1969
08:42
 
Rafael Osuna
30, Mexican tennis star
Near Salinas Victoria, Nuevo Leon, Mexico Mexicana Airlines
Flight 704
B-727-64
XA-SEL
cn: 19256/355
While the crew was aligning with the runway, the plane hit high ground several miles from the airport. Pilot error. All 79 aboard killed. details in database
Aug 31, 1969
20:05
Rocky Marciano
45, boxer
Newton, Iowa Cessna 172H
N3149X
cn:55229
Took off in rainy weather barely climbing.  Crashed into a lone oak tree. Inexperienced pilot not IFR qualified. Marciano was returning home for his birthday party.  3 killed.

details in
database
Sep 26, 1969 The Strongest, Bolivian soccer team Near La Paz, Bolivia Lloyd Aereo Boliviano
Douglas DC-6B
CP-698  cn:43273
The aircraft hit a 15,500 ft. mountain.  Cause unknown.  All 74 aboard killed. details in database

 

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