The crash of an American Airlines jet colliding with an Army helicopter is the latest incident affecting the sports world in the United States and globally.
Among the passengers were several members of the Boston Skating Club who were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas, including teenagers Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers, and two highly renowned Russian figure skating coaches, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. It is feared that the 64 people on board may have died.
Air accidents in sports are unusual, but they have had a devastating impact on national teams, professional clubs, and amateur teams.
Here is a look at some of the air tragedies that have shaken the world of sports over the decades:
Manchester United
On February 6, 1958, a plane carrying the team and coaching staff of Manchester United crashed while attempting to take off on an ice-covered runway in Munich. The team was returning from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade, and the plane had stopped in Munich to refuel. Among the 23 people who died were eight Man United players and three members of the coaching staff. One of the survivors was forward Bobby Charlton, who went on to become a World Cup champion in 1966.
Uruguay Rugby Club
On October 13, 1972, a chartered flight of the Uruguayan Air Force carrying the Old Christians Club rugby team from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, crashed in the snowy mountains of the Andes. The wreckage was found two months later and only 16 of the 45 people on board survived. Faced with snowstorms, avalanches, and hunger, the survivors awaiting rescue were forced to eat the flesh of those who had died, and their ordeal has been recounted in books and movies.
Chapecoense
On November 28, 2026, the plane carrying the Brazilian club Chapecoense to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional of Colombia crashed while approaching the Colombian city. The accident resulted in 71 deaths, including 19 players from the club who were traveling to play the first leg of the final against Atlético Nacional de Medellín. Three Chapecoense players, a journalist, and two crew members of the LaMia airline were the survivors. Chapecoense was later declared the posthumous champion of the second most prestigious club championship in South America.
United States Figure Skating Team
On February 15, 1961, a commercial flight carrying the 18 members of the U.S. figure skating team to the World Championships in Prague crashed near Brussels airport, killing everyone on board. Six coaches were also on the plane, along with four team officials and six family members.
Wichita State University
On October 2, 1970, one of the two chartered jets carrying the Wichita State University football team to a game in Utah crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado. Of the 40 on board, 31 died, including 14 players along with coaches, sponsors, administrators, trainers, and three crew members. The federal aviation safety agency later said that the accident could be primarily attributed to pilot error.
Marshall University American football team
On November 14, 1970, a chartered jet carrying the American football team crashed in the fog and rain against a hillside as it approached an airport near Huntington after playing a game against East Carolina. All 75 people on board died, including 36 players and 39 school administrators, coaches, fans, spouses, and flight crew.
University of Evansville basketball team
On December 13, 1977, a chartered plane from Air Indiana carrying the University of Evansville men's basketball team crashed 90 seconds after taking off from Evansville Airport. The 29 people who died included 14 players and coach Bobby Watson.
United States boxing team
On March 14, 1980, the United States amateur boxing team was flying from New York to Poland for warm-up competitions before the 1980 Moscow Olympics when their plane crashed near Warsaw. All 87 people on board died, including 14 boxers and eight team staff members. Two months later, the United States decided to boycott the Olympic Games due to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan.
Zambia national football team
On April 28, 1993, a military aircraft carrying the Zambia national football team to a World Cup qualifying match crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Libreville, Zambia. The team was traveling to play against Senegal in the second round of the 1994 World Cup qualifiers. 18 players and five members of the team's coaching staff died in the crash.
Russian ice hockey team
On September 7, 2011, 36 players, coaches, and staff members of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl professional ice hockey team died when their plane crashed near Yaroslavl in central Russia. Investigators said that one of the two pilots accidentally activated the wheel brakes during takeoff. Of the 45 people on board, 44 died. The only player who survived the initial crash later died from burns. A flight engineer was the sole survivor.