Just like many people in Wichita, Elizabeth Wilson Winterbone’s changed on the day of Oct. 2, 1970. On that tragic day, Winterbone’s parents were killed in a plane crash carrying WSU’s football that killed 31 people.
At the time of the crash, Winterbone was just ten years old and had arrangements to sleepover at a friend’s house with both parents making the journey to Logan, Utah for the game.
Her father, Ben Wilson, was the head coach of the team but it was unusual for her mother to travel to games. To this day, Winterbone is unsure why her mother decided to travel but she remembers being unaware of the news that day and being taken to a family friend’s home.