TWA Flight 599 crash site

The 1931 crash of a wood-winged Fokker F-VII tri-motor airliner, TWA Flight 599, in the Kansas prairie—which killed popular sports hero Knute Rockne and 7 others—was one of the most historic crashes in world aviation history. The infamous disaster brought radical changes to airline regulations, operations and aircraft—ultimately forcing a radical change in the state of the art of aviation. The 'Rockne Crash' (as it is often referred to) stimulated radical advances in aircraft design and development, and airline industry practices. The result was a pivotal improvement in airline safety, profitability and popularity.