Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a
Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven"...
aircraft
en route from
New York International AirportJohn F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in Queens County, New York in southeastern New York City about 12 miles from Lower Manhattan...
(later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport) to
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
,
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
's
Zaventem AirportBrussels Airport is an international airport located in Zaventem, northeast of Brussels, Belgium....
on February 15, 1961. The flight crashed during the approach for landing. All 72 on board were killed, as was one person on the ground. The crash was the first fatal accident involving a
Boeing 707The Boeing 707 is a four-engine commercial passenger jet airliner developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. Its name is most commonly pronounced as "Seven Oh Seven"...
in regular passenger service. Among the dead were the entire United States Figure Skating team, who were en route to the 1961
World ChampionshipsThe World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
in
PraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" , "city of a hundred spires", or Stověžatá Praha in Czech and "the golden city" or Zlaté město in Czech.Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the...
,
CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
Crash
There was no indication of trouble on board the plane until it approached the Brussels airport. The pilot had to circle the airport while waiting for a small plane to clear the runway. Then, according to eyewitnesses, the plane began to climb and bank erratically and crashed suddenly in a field near the hamlet of Berg. The wreckage burst into flames. All aboard were killed instantly. A farmer working in the fields was killed by a piece of aluminum shrapnel, and another farmer had his leg amputated by flying debris from the plane. Baudouin I, King of the Belgians, and his consort,
Queen FabiolaQueen Fabiola of Belgium is the widow of King Baudouin of Belgium. She was Queen consort of the Belgians for 33 years...
, rushed to the scene of the disaster and provided comfort to the families of the local farmers who had died and been injured.
The exact cause of the crash was never determined beyond reasonable doubt, but investigators suspected that the aircraft may have been brought down by a failure of the stabilizer adjusting mechanism.
All 18 athletes of the 1961 U.S. figure skating team and 16 family members, coaches, and officials died in the crash. The dead included, most notably, 9-time U.S. ladies' champion Maribel Vinson-Owen and her two daughters, reigning U.S. ladies' champion
Laurence OwenLaurence Rochon Owen was an American figure skater.-Career:The second child of Guy Owen and Maribel Vinson was an all-around athlete who participated in several sports but at an early age showed all the signs of becoming a wonderful skating champion. Coached by her mother, she was 15 years old...
, reigning U.S. pairs champions
Maribel Y. OwenMaribel Yerxa Owen was an American pair skater.-Career:The first child of Guy Owen and Maribel Vinson, she was named for her mother. From a young age she began skating in the Pairs competition...
and her partner
Dudley RichardsDudley "Dud" Shaw Richards was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles and pairs. In singles, he won the bronze medal at the 1953 United States Figure Skating Championships and finished sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships...
, reigning U.S. men's champion
Bradley LordBradley Lord was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He finished fourth at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and then placed sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event. The following year, he...
, U.S. men's silver medalist
Gregory KelleyGregory Kelley was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He won the junior title at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1959 and finished ninth at the 1960 World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event. In 1961 he won the...
, U.S. ladies' silver medalist
Stephanie WesterfeldStephanie "Steffi" Westerfeld was an American figure skater.She earned a place on the United States' world team for the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships after she finished second at 1961 U.S National Championships....
, U.S. ladies' bronze medalist
Rhode Lee MichelsonRhode Lee Michelson was an American figure skater. She placed third at the 1961 U.S. Championships, earning her the right to compete a month later at the World Championships. She died on February 15, 1961 when Sabena Flight 548 crashed on its way to the World Championships in Prague. She was 17 at...
and U.S. ice dancing champions
Diane SherbloomDiane Carol "Dee Dee" Sherbloom was an American figure skater who competed in ice dance. Previously paired with Roger Campbell, she had no intentions of competing at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships until a twist of fate brought partner Larry Pierce her way...
and Larry Pierce. The loss of the U.S. team was considered so catastrophic for the sport that the 1961
World Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
were cancelled.
American President
John F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
issued a statement of condolence from the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
. He was particularly shocked by the disaster. One of the skaters killed in the crash,
Dudley RichardsDudley "Dud" Shaw Richards was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles and pairs. In singles, he won the bronze medal at the 1953 United States Figure Skating Championships and finished sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships...
, was a personal friend of President Kennedy and his brother
Ted KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in November 1962, he was elected nine times and served for 46 years in the U.S. Senate. At the time of his death, he was the second most senior member of the Senate, and...
from summers spent at
Hyannis Port, MassachusettsHyannis is the largest of seven villages in the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census...
.
Aftermath
Because the casualties included many of the top American coaches as well as the athletes, the crash was a devastating blow to the U.S. Figure Skating program, which had enjoyed a position of dominance in the sport in the 1950s. Although
Scott AllenScott Ethan Allen is an American figure skater. He is the 1964 Olympic bronze medalist, the 1965 World silver medalist, and the 1964 & 1966 U.S. national champion....
won a bronze medal at the
1964 Winter OlympicsThe 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
-- becoming one of the youngest Olympic medalists in history -- the United States would not be dominant again in this sport until the
1968 Winter OlympicsThe 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on February 6. Thirty-seven countries participated...
in Grenoble, France, where
Peggy FlemingPeggy Gail Fleming is an American figure skater who won an Olympic gold medal in 1968 and has been a television commentator on figure skating for over 20 years, including several Winter Olympic Games.-Life and career:...
won gold in the ladies' event and
Tim WoodTimothy Lyle Wood was an American figure skater. He is three-time U.S. national champion, and two-time World champion. He also won the silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics.-Competitive highlights:...
the silver in the men's. The crash was also indirectly responsible for bringing foreign coaches such as
Carlo FassiCarlo Fassi was a well-known Italian figure skater and international coach.-Career:Fassi was born in Milan....
and
John NicksJohn Allen Wisden Nicks is a British figure skating coach and former pair skater. His pairs partner was his sister Jennifer Nicks, and together they were the 1953 World Champions...
to the United States.
U.S. Figure Skating Association President
F. Ritter ShumwayFrank Ritter Shumway was a major figure in figure skating in the United States.From 1951 to 1965, he was president of the Ritter Company, a dental chair manufacturer founded by his grandfather Frank Ritter, and later led the company's successor, the Sybron Corporation.In 1955, Shumway founded the...
, in office less than two months at the time of the accident, established the USFSA Memorial Fund in honor of the crash victims. The Fund, which is still in existence, is used to support the training of promising young figure skaters throughout the country.
USFSA
Members of the USFSA and their family members who were killed in the crash:
Single skaters
- Gregory Kelley
Gregory Kelley was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He won the junior title at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1959 and finished ninth at the 1960 World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event. In 1961 he won the...
- Bradley Lord
Bradley Lord was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He finished fourth at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and then placed sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event. The following year, he...
- Rhode Lee Michelson
Rhode Lee Michelson was an American figure skater. She placed third at the 1961 U.S. Championships, earning her the right to compete a month later at the World Championships. She died on February 15, 1961 when Sabena Flight 548 crashed on its way to the World Championships in Prague. She was 17 at...
- Laurence Rochon Owen
Laurence Rochon Owen was an American figure skater.-Career:The second child of Guy Owen and Maribel Vinson was an all-around athlete who participated in several sports but at an early age showed all the signs of becoming a wonderful skating champion. Coached by her mother, she was 15 years old...
- Douglas Ramsay
Douglas Ramsay was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. Known as "Dick Button Jr.", he won the junior title at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1960...
- Stephanie Westerfeld
Stephanie "Steffi" Westerfeld was an American figure skater.She earned a place on the United States' world team for the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships after she finished second at 1961 U.S National Championships....
Pair skaters
- Ila Ray Hadley
Ila Ray Hadley was an American figure skater who competed in pairs and ice dance with her brother Ray Hadley, Jr.. They won the bronze medal in pairs at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and competed in the Winter Olympics and World Figure Skating Championships that year. The...
- Ray Hadley, Jr.
Ray Hadley, Jr. was an American figure skater who competed in pairs and ice dance with his sister Ila Ray Hadley. They won the bronze medal in pairs at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and competed in the Winter Olympics and World Figure Skating Championships that year. The...
- Laurie Jean Hickox
- William Holmes Hickox
- Maribel Yerxa Owen
Maribel Yerxa Owen was an American pair skater.-Career:The first child of Guy Owen and Maribel Vinson, she was named for her mother. From a young age she began skating in the Pairs competition...
- Dudley Shaw Richards
Dudley "Dud" Shaw Richards was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles and pairs. In singles, he won the bronze medal at the 1953 United States Figure Skating Championships and finished sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships...
Ice dancers
- Roger Campbell
Roger Campbell was an American figure skater who competed in ice dancing. After partnering with Diane Sherbloom in 1959, he won the bronze medal at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships with Yvonne Littlefield and went on to finish eight at that year's World Figure Skating...
- Dona Lee Carrier
Dona Lee Carrier was an American figure skater who competed in ice dancing with Roger Campbell. The pair won the silver medal at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships, earning them the right to compete a month later at the World Championships in Prague. They also finished second at...
- Robert Dineen
Robert Dineen was an American figure skater who competed in ice dancing with his wife Patricia Dineen. The pair won the gold medal at the 1961 Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships and the bronze at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships, earning them the right to compete a...
- Patricia Dineen
Patricia Major Dineen was an American figure skater who competed in ice dancing with her husband Robert Dineen. The pair won the gold medal at the 1961 Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships and the bronze at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships, earning them the right to...
- Dallas "Larry" Pierce
- Diane Carol Sherbloom
Diane Carol "Dee Dee" Sherbloom was an American figure skater who competed in ice dance. Previously paired with Roger Campbell, she had no intentions of competing at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships until a twist of fate brought partner Larry Pierce her way...
Coaches and manager
- Alvah "Linda" Hadley - coach
- William Kipp - coach
- Deane McMinn - team manager
- Maribel Vinson Owen - coach
- Daniel "Danny" Ryan - coach
- Edi Scholdan
Edi Scholdan was a figure skater and figure skating coach.Scholdan was born in Vienna and, as a competitor, represented Austria at the 1933 World Figure Skating Championships. However, he became better known as a coach; he worked at the Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado Springs, Colorado...
- coach
- William Swallender - coach
Judges and referee
- Harold Hartshorne
Harold Hartshorne was an American ice dancer.With partner Nettie Prantell, he was the 1937-1939 U.S. Champion and 1943 bronze medalist medalist. With partner Sandy MacDonald, he was the 1939-1941 U.S. Champion and 1942 silver medalist. With partner Kathe Mehl, he is the 1944 U.S...
- judge
- Edward LeMaire
Edward LeMaire was an American figure skater who competed in pairs and men's singles. In pairs, he won the junior title at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1942 and won a bronze medal in senior pairs the following year with Dorothy Goos...
- judge
- Walter S. Powell - referee
Family of team members
- Ann Campbell
- Louisa Hartshorne
- Nathalie Kelley
- Richard LeMaire
- James Scholdan
- Sharon Westerfeld
Other passengers
- Julian Baginski
- Pierre Balteau
- Germaine Berbruggen
- Jean Berbruggen
- Father
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church includes the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
Otmar Boesch
- Alexander Dayton
- Mercellin Deprince
- Iris Duke
- Linda Foster
- Dorice Herring
- Maurice Herring
- Jacob Hershkowicz
- Harold Kellett
- Juanita Lemoine
- Howard Lillie
- Vanessa Maes
- Victor Maes
- Francisco Medina
- Herbert Myers
- Franz Offergelt
- Margaret Pozzuolo
- Jacqueline Robinson
- Richard Robinson
- Robert Raulier
- Max Silberstein
- Martin Soria
- PFC
In many armed forces in the world, Private First Class is a rank held by junior enlisted persons.- United States :In the U.S. Army, Private First Class is the third lowest enlisted rank, just above Private and below Corporal or Specialist in the Army, and is equivalent to NATO Grade OR-3. In the U.S...
Robert Stopp
- Dominique Vernier
- George Young
Crew
- Pierre van den Busche
- Marcel DeMayer
- Lucien Eduwaere
- Paul De Vos
- Jean Kint
- Louis Lambrechts
- Jacqueline Rombaut
- Jean Roy
- Jacqueline Trullemans
- Henri Vernimmen
- Robert Voleppe
External links