How it unfolded
On 15 February 1961, Sabena Flight 548, carrying the delegation to the World Championships in Prague, crashed on approach to Brussels Airport, killing all 72 aboard. The victims included the entire United States figure skating team along with coaches, officials and family members. Several rising skaters considered future Olympic medal contenders were among those lost, ending their careers instantly. The ISU cancelled that year's World Championships entirely, one of the few cancellations in the event's history outside the two World Wars. The United States Figure Skating Association subsequently created a memorial fund named for the victims to help finance training for the next generation.
Why it still matters
The disaster wiped out an entire generation of American figure skating in a single afternoon, and rebuilding took nearly a decade. The memorial fund created afterward became the structural support behind subsequent champions including Peggy Fleming, and even today, this tragedy is recalled as one of the heaviest moments in the sport's history whenever the World Championships are held.