It was supposed to be an outing to western Kentucky for a big playoff game, but ended in one of the worst aviation disasters in Kentucky history. Ten passengers and the pilot of the plane were killed when the plane crashed in Todd County, about 10 miles northwest of Elkton, on November 17, 1972.
According to the original report from United Press International, the plane had been chartered by a group of football fans from Richmond, who had attented the Class A playoff game earlier that evening between Richmond Madison and Trigg County High School. The game was actually played at Hopkinsville due to field conditions at Trigg County High School. The plane had taken off from the Hopkinsville airport a short time before the crash. It crashed on the farm of Richard Simons, near Fairview.
The UPI report states witnesses reported a blinding flash, indicating it had exploded in midair. The Federal Aviation Agency stated the pilot radioed air traffic control in Bowling Green, shortly after takeoff asking for clearance to climb the altitude from 5,000 to 7,000 feet. That was the last radio contact the Bowling Green air controller had with the ill-fated plane, which was en route back Bluegrass Airport at Lexington.
Ten Richmond residents, along with the pilot from Elizabethtown, died in the crash.
Trigg County won the playoff game 19-10, on the way to their second of two consecutive Class A state football championships.
According to the UPI report, the victims of the crash were:
LAWRENCE (LARRY) McDERMOTT, 54, of Elizabethtown (PILOT)
CHARLES SHACKELFORD, 29, attorney.
BEN ROBINSON JR., 27, a beer distributor.
ROY WATSON JR., 26, assistant advertising manager for the Richmond Daily Register.
JAMES HOUSE, 21, news editor for the same newspaper.
DAVID KEITH GOOSILN, 27, an employee of the Central Vending Co.
JOE HUNTER, 57, owner of a liquor store.
HUGH F. ROBBINS, 32, attorney.
J. D. FRANKENBERGER, 25, owner of a liquor store.
MAURICE OLIVER MUNDY, 38, owner of a car wash.
GEORGE LYTTLE VERNON, 29, an IBM Corp. employee