WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - With such a rich history in aviation, the Air Capital, unfortunately, has had its share of air tragedies. In addition to the lives lost on the Jan. 29, 2025, crash with American Airlines Flight 5342, several others have deeply touched the Wichita community.

The deadliest aviation disaster in Kansas took place 60 years ago. On Jan. 15, 1965, a Boeing KC-135 refueling tanker took off from McConnell Air Force Base and gained little altitude. It was carrying more than 30,000 gallons of fuel. About three minutes later, it crashed into a neighborhood at 20th and Piatt -- a few blocks east of I-135. In all, 7 airmen and 23 people on the ground died. The cause of the crash was never determined.

On a clear and beautiful fall day, the Wichita State Football team departed on two Martin 404s to a game against Utah State in Logan, Utah. They left Wichita at 9:08 a.m. The planes landed in Denver to refuel, and a little after 12:30 p.m., they boarded and flew in the air. One plane, though, went on a scenic route through the Rocky Mountains. The pilot wanted to give the star players, coaches and supporters a view to remember – and – it remains one the community will never forget. The plane wasn’t able to gain enough altitude to get out of the canyon, and it crashed into the mountainside. The NTSB report shows many people survived the initial impact of the accident. However, because the plane had refueled, there was an explosion and people were trapped inside the plane. Initially, 11 people survived the crash, including the co-pilot. Days later, two of those people passed away. In all, there were 31 victims.

Wichita has found its way to recognize the tragedy. In the months following, Memorial 70 was built on the west side of the Wichita State campus. Every Oct. 2, the community meets for a memorial service to pay tribute to those who are no longer here.

The story of the WSU plane crash touched a lot of people, including big names in entertainment. Bill Cosby and Monty Hall hosted a fundraiser for the university after the crash.

As for the survivors, many have a special bond. In 2020, Rick Stevens rode his bicycle to the crash site near Silver Plume, Colo., to pay his respects. Taking the vertical hike up the mountain isn’t easy, but with the help of friends and other people who lost family, he was able to make it up there. “I just get a sense of amazement that, that anybody survived,” he shared with us then. The area where the plane crashed is filled with wreckage, but it also has many mementos from others. Pictures, Wichita State hats and shirts, are among many items on Mount Trelease.

The crash not only took the young lives of the players on board. It also impacted so many little ones here at home. In all, 22 children lost at least one parent and 13 children were orphaned. This fall, we spoke with Nancy Grooms-Rawl and Eric Grooms about losing their parents Etta Mae and John Grooms in the crash.

Three decades would pass before the next big accident took place. At 12:52 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2000, a business jet, Canadair Challenger, took off from Mid-Continent Airport on a test flight. It crashed during takeoff, and as it made an impact with the terrain, it went through a fence on the edge of the airport. The jet burned, killing three people on board, including a pilot and flight-test engineer. The co-pilot was seriously hurt and died 36 days later, the NTSB shared in its investigation.

A corporate jet with a pilot and passenger departed from Wichita on Oct. 18, 2013. The NTSB cites a malfunctioning autopilot and flight instruments, along with bad weather and increased workload from air traffic control, as what led to the deadly crash in a field near 95th South and Webb in Derby. Both the pilot and passenger died.

A Beechcraft 200 King Air was destroyed during takeoff after it departed from Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport on Oct. 30, 2014. During takeoff, at 9:47 a.m., the pilot radioed, “We lost the left engine.”

“The airplane climbed to about 120 ft above ground level, and witnesses reported seeing it in a left turn with the landing gear extended,” the NTSB report shares. “The airplane continued turning left and descended into a building on the airfield. A postimpact fire ensued and consumed a majority of the airplane.”

The pilot died in the crash, along with three people inside the FlightSafety International training center. Other people were hurt. The accident report shares that this crash likely resulted from the pilot being unable to control the aircraft after a loss of power from the left engine.

A pilot is considered a hero, investigators share , as the small plane he flew crashed into a densely populated area in west Wichita on Sept. 25, 2015. The accident took place around 3:50 p.m. Witnesses said the plane went down nose-first into a creek during the initial climb after takeoff. The plane just took off from Eisenhower Airport, and the pilot noticed a problem. He tried to return but never made it back. Wichita fire says the pilot, Aaron Waters from Colorado, died a hero for not hitting any of the nearby homes. His obituary shares , “As an engineer, he worked for Dow Corning in Michigan, Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas, and the FAA in both Wichita and Parker, Colorado.”

In the NTSB accident report , the accident was likely caused by “the separation of the attachment hardware connecting the elevator trim tab pushrod to the elevator trim actuator, which resulted in the elevator trim tab jamming in a position outside the limits of normal travel and a subsequent loss of airplane control.”