Deseret News archives: Legendary coach Knute Rockne felled by airplane crash in 1931
Known for his fiery speeches, discipline and success, his death on March 31, 1931, was deemed a "national loss."
The front page of the Deseret News on April 1, 1931, as reports of the airplane crash that killed legendary football coach Knute Rockne spread. Editor’s note: This story was originally published on March 31, 2025. A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives.
On March 31, 1931, Notre Dame college football coach Knute Rockne, 43, was killed in the crash of a TWA plane near Bazaar, Kansas. On that fateful morning, Rockne boarded Transcontinental and Western Air Flight 599, headed to Los Angeles to participate in the movie production of “The Spirit of Notre Dame. ” The weather was stormy.
But according to historical accounts, the plane went down a few miles west of Bazaar, killing Rockne and the other seven on board. After leading Notre Dame to back-to-back national championships, Rockne’s death devastated the university community and shook the United States, with President Herbert Hoover declaring it “a national loss. ” The accident dominated the Deseret News for several days.
The hazards of airline travel in America more than 90 years ago was well-known. But this accident forced the Department of Commerce’s new Committee on Aviation Safety to lead an investigation into questions of safety of airline transports. The response to the crash of the F-10A transport that killed Rockne was to ground all the planes and carefully examine the wings for defects.