Olympians Who Died in Aviation Crashes (146)

Athlete Nation(s) Sport(s) Role(s) Era Notes
Youssef Abbas EGY BKB Olympics / Non-starter 1948—1952 Died in an air crash over the Mediterranean Sea in October 1956 that was allegedly caused by Israeli Mossad agents who had mistaken a plane carrying Egyptian athletes for one carrying a senior Egyptian Field Marshall.
Osman Abdel Hafeez EGY FEN Olympics 1948—1952 A Lockheed Super Constellation of KLM (Flight 607-E), crashed 180 kilometres west of Shannon, Ireland, killing all 99.
Ibrahim Abdulhalim UAR ROW Olympics 1960 Killed in the crash of Swissair Flight 306.
George Ahlgren USA ROW Olympics 1948 Died in a plane crash.
Émile Albrecht SUI ROW Olympics 1924 Died in a plane crash.
Joe Angyal USA ROW Olympics 1948 Killed when his F9F7 Cougar jet plummeted to Point Lookout sandbar in Long Island, New York.
Rômulo Arantes BRA SWM Olympics 1972—1980 Died in a plane crash.
Guy Ardilouze FRA ART Olympics 1948 Died in a plane crash
Luis Arias ESP ALP Olympics / Other 1952—1960 Died in a helicopter crash.
Jacques Aumont-Thiéville FRA FEN Non-starter 1908 Died with four other men in an crash of an aerostatic balloon, from which he was the pilot
Luigi Barbesino ITA FBL Olympics 1912 Died in April of 1941 in the Sicily channel (probably near the city of Sciacca) when he and other five soldiers disappeared while aboard a reconnaissance aircraft – their bodies were never found.
Ray Barkway GBR ATH Olympics 1948 Died when the plane he was piloting crashed.
José Barrientos CUB ATH Olympics / Other 1928 Died in an aviation accident.
Bruno Bianchi ITA SWM Olympics 1960—1964 A Convair CV 440 Metropolitan of the Lufthansa (Flight 005) crashed when go-around shortly after the runway of the Bremen Airport killing all 46 including seven Italian swimmers and their coach.
Hans, Baron von Blixen-Finecke, Sr. SWE EDR Olympics 1912 Killed during a test flight of the Södertelge Werkstäder 16, which caught on fire, killing both von Blixen-Finecke and the pilot.
Joaquín Blume ESP GAR Olympics 1952 A Douglas DC-3 of Iberia Airlines crashed due to bad weather at the Valdemeca mountains on the way from Barcelona to Madrid, killing all 28 also including his wife.
Sten-Olof Bolldén SWE SWM Olympics 1936 Killed during a military exercise, when his plane crashed into power lines and he was thrown out of the passenger seat and killed.
Patrice Boungani Doda CMR FBL Referee 2004 Died in a plane crash
Hanns Braun GER ATH Olympics 1908—1912 Died when his plane crashed with another from his own fighter squadron in the air.
Otto Bräutigam GER GLD Non-Medal 1936
Väinö Bremer FIN MPN/MSP Olympics 1924 Died when his plane crashed in Kerava while he was approaching Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
Roberta Brown USA ATH Olympics 1972 Commercial pilot who died in a crash on one of her flights. Her body was discovered that night.
Skippy Browning USA DIV Olympics 1952 Died when his Navy jet crashed.
Jörg Bruder BRA SAL Olympics 1964—1972 A Boeing 707 of Varig crashed after an emergency landing due to smoke in the cabin near Orly (FRA), killing 123 (11 survivors).
Kobe Bryant USA BKB Olympics 2008—2012 Died in helicopter crash and fire, along with his daughter, Giana, and 7 other people.
Dick Buek USA ALP Olympics 1952 Died in an airplane crash over Donner Lake (USA), when he was towing water skiers over the lake.
George Calnan USA FEN Olympics 1920—1932 Died in crash of USS Akron off the coast of New Jersey, the deadliest airship accident in history.
Eduardo Cano ARG EVE Olympics 1956 Killed when the military plane he was aboard crashed in Argentina.
Efford Chabala ZAM FBL Olympics 1988 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Wisdom Chansa ZAM FBL Olympics 1988 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Chen Zhenhe CHN FBL Olympics 1936 Member of the Chinese Air Force; died when his plane crashed during World War II.
Godfrey Chitalu ZAM FBL Olympics 1980 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Alex Chola ZAM FBL Olympics 1980 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Samuel Chomba ZAM FBL Olympics / Other 1988 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Don Collinge CAN FEN Olympics 1936 Died in a flying accident (possibly brought on by friendly fire) while serving as a navigator in the early morning hours of 7 June 1944 and was buried in the United Kingdom.
John Cooper GBR ATH Olympics 1964—1968 A McDonnell Douglas DC-10 of Turkish Airlines (Flight 981) crashed after uncontrolled decompression, killing all 346.
Paolo Costoli ITA SWM Olympics 1928—1932 A Convair CV 440 Metropolitan of the Lufthansa (Flight 005) crashed when go-around shortly after the runway of the Bremen Airport killing all 46 including seven Italian swimmers and their coach.
Frank Cuhel USA ATH Olympics 1928 Died in a flying boat crash (Yankee Clipper) in Portugal.
David Cummings CAN WRE Olympics 1976 Died in ultra-light aircraft accident.
Cliff Cushman USA ATH Olympics 1960 Killed in action when his plane was shot down in Vietnam.
Georges Damitio FRA ATH Olympics 1948—1952 Died along with his wife in a plane crash
Lauro De Bosis ITA ART Olympics 1928 In early October 1931, he took off near Marseille and on his way back, followed by Italian military planes, he probably ran out of fuel and crashed. Neither the plane nor his body were ever found.
Alberto Della Beffa ITA BOB Olympics 1952 Died in a Cessna 150 flight from Zurich/Kloten to Agno in the Ticino Canton, that crashed in the Uri Canton. The only two passengers on board were the pilot and Della Beffa, and they both died.
Pavol Demitra SVK IHO Olympics 2002—2010 Died when a Yakovlev Yak-42D carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team crashed on take-off from Tunoshna Airport.
Carlos Enrique Díaz Sáenz Valiente ARG SHO Olympics 1948—1952 Died when the plane he piloted himself crashed.
Peter Dix IRL SAL Olympics 1976 A Boeing 747–121 of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am Flight 103) exploded over Scotland after a bomb was smuggled on board by Libyan agents (Lockerbie bombing) killing all 259 and 11 people on the ground.
Foy Draper USA ATH Olympics 1936 He was reported missing in action while flying over Tunisia in the Battle of Kassarine Pass on 4 Jan 1943.
Andrew Drew USA TEN Olympics 1904 Died when trying out a new biplane, when it went out of control.
Léonce Ehrmann ALG
FRA
CTR Non-Medal 1900 Died in accident in air exhibition
Sven Erbs SWE BOB Olympics 1956 Died from injuries caused by a crash with his private aircraft.
Billy Fiske USA BOB Olympics / Other 1928—1932 First American fighter pilot to be killed in World War II, fighting for Britain, in a crash landing.
Walter Flinsch GER ROW Olympics 1928—1932 Died during a test flight with a Heinkel He 177.
Wilson de Freitas BRA ROW Olympics 1936 Died when the plane he was piloting crashed.
Vladimir Fyodorov URS
UZB
FBL Olympics 1976 Two Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134s collided over Dniprodzerzhynsk, Ukraine, killing 178 including the complete football team of Pakhtakor Toshkent.
Francisco Gonzales PHI SAL Olympics 1960 A Fairchild F-27A crashed near San Ramon (USA) killing all 44. Gonzales shot both the pilot and co-pilot causing the crash.
Sergio De Gregorio ITA SWM Olympics 1964 A Convair CV 440 Metropolitan of the Lufthansa (Flight 005) crashed when go-around shortly after the runway of the Bremen Airport killing all 46 including seven Italian swimmers and their coach.
David Griffin CAN ATH Olympics 1928 Died in flying accident. Passenger on ferry plane from Iceland to New Foundland.
Isaac Grünewald SWE ART Olympics 1932 Died in a plane crash.
Sadi Gülçelik TUR BKB Olympics 1952 A Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Flight 163) burned and returned to Ar-Riyadh shortly after the start, the smoke on board killed all 301.
Prins Gustaf Adolf SWE EJP Olympics / Administrator 1933—1947 Died in an aircrash at København Airport.
Ila Ray Hadley USA FSK Olympics 1960 A Boeing 707 of Sabena (Flight 548), crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team.
Ray Hadley, Jr. USA FSK Olympics 1960 A Boeing 707 of Sabena (Flight 548), crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team.
William Harding USA SHO Olympics 1932 Killed in a plane crash during war games.
Gösta Horn SWE DIV Olympics 1928 Died in the crash of a military plane off the northern tip of Öland.
Dumitru Hubert ROU BOB Olympics 1932 Died piloting an airplane in an airshow in Braşov.
Zdeněk Jarkovský CZE
TCH
IHO Olympics 1948 A Beechcraft Model 18 disappeared over the English Channel, all eight died including six Czechoslovak ice hockey players.
Akilles Järvinen FIN ATH Olympics / Other 1928—1936 Killed in action during a test flight.
Richard Jeffery GBR BOB Olympics 1948 Died when his 2-seater de Havilland Mosquito crashed onto Brawdy Aerodrome, St. David's, Pembrokeshire.
Jaroslav Jiřík CZE
TCH
IHO Olympics 1960—1968 Died in a plane crash in Brno - Medlánky.
Wolfgang Junginger FRG ALP Olympics 1976 Died when the plane he piloted himself crashed.
Karl Kaschka AUT FEN Olympics / Referee 1936 Killed in action when his aircraft was shot down.
Axel Kristjánsson ISL GLM Non-Medal 1912 Died in a plane crash.
Octave Lapize FRA CTR Olympics 1908 Killed in action, when his plane was shot down near Verdun.
Karl Leban AUT MPN/SSK Olympics 1936
Al Lindley USA ROW Olympics 1924 He died in an airplane crash in 1951.
Stefan Liv SWE IHO Olympics / Non-starter 2006—2010 Died when a Yakovlev Yak-42D carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team crashed on take-off from Tunoshna Airport.
Jack Lumsdaine GBR MPN Olympics 1952 Died in a plane crash.
Derby Makinka ZAM FBL Olympics 1988 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Frank McKinney USA SWM Olympics 1956—1960 Died in a plane crash.
Luis Morales CUB FEN Referee 1968
Gordon Morrison CAN ALP Olympics 1952 Died 8 July 1972 in a plane crash near Chetwynd, British Columbia
Victor Mucha AUS WRE Olympics 1956 Died in a plane crash near Albury, New South Wales
Camille Muffat FRA SWM Olympics 2008—2012 Two Eurocopter AS350 helicopters collided near Villa Castelli, Argentina, killing all 10.
Eston Mulenga ZAM FBL Olympics 1988 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Günther Mund CHI DIV Olympics 1948—1956 Died when his light plane crashed.
Richard Mwanza ZAM FBL Olympics 1988 A Buffalo DHC-5D of Zambian Air Force crashed off the coast of Gabon about 500 metres of from near Libreville, when the left engine burned, killing all 30 including 18 Zambian footballers and their coaches.
Ahmed Fouad Nessim EGY SWM/WPO Olympics / Non-starter / Other 1948—1952 He died in an air crash over the Mediterranean Sea in October 1956 that was allegedly caused by Israeli Mossad agents who had mistaken a plane carrying Egyptian athletes for one carrying a senior Egyptian Field Marshall. The incident may also have been related to the fact that Ahmed’s brother Muhammad was a famous Egyptian intelligence figure during the era of Gamal Abdel Naser.
Felipe Nunag PHI BOX Olympics 1936 A Douglas C-47 of Philippine Air Force crashed into Mount Manunggal killing all 25 including Ramon Magsaysay, President of the Philippines.
Rafael Osuna MEX TEN Non-Medal 1968 A Boeing 727 of Mexicana (Flight 704) crashed after a pilot error on approach near Del Norte International Airport near Monterrey killing all 79.
Gerry Ouellette CAN SHO Olympics 1956—1968 Died in a plane crash.
Laurie Owen USA FSK Olympics 1960 A Boeing 707 of Sabena (Flight 548), crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team.
Maribel Owen USA FSK Olympics 1960 A Boeing 707 of Sabena (Flight 548), crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team.
Charley Paddock USA ATH Olympics 1920—1928 Died in an air crash over Alaska while serving as a captain in the Marines.
Robert Palmer NZL ALP Olympics 1968 Died in an air accident.
Albertus Perk NED FEN Olympics 1912 Died when his Rumpler C.VIII military plane crashed en route from Den Haag (NED) to København (DEN)
Mark Perrow RSA CSP Olympics 1992 Died when the light aircraft he was flying crashed.
Edmond Poillot FRA BOX Olympics 1908 Died in an aviation crash in Chartres, France while instructing a student. His passenger, Gérard Partiot survived the crash.
Miloslav Pokorný CZE
TCH
IHO Olympics 1948 A Beechcraft Model 18 disappeared over the English Channel, all eight died including six Czechoslovak ice hockey players.
Pat Porter USA ATH Olympics 1984—1988 Died when the Beech B-60 he was piloting crashed and burst into flames shortly after take-off.
Bernard Poussineau FRA HOC Olympics 1928 Navy officer, he is deceased in the accident of a seaplane
Maurice Powers CAN IHO Non-Medal 1932 Died in a plane crash.
Alick Rennie RSA CSL Olympics 1992 Died when the light aircraft he was piloting crashed.
Amedee Reyburn USA SWM/WPO Olympics 1904 Died in an aviation accident.
Mohamed Riad EGY FEN Olympics 1952 A Lockheed Super Constellation of KLM (Flight 607-E), crashed 180 kilometres west of Shannon, Ireland, killing all 99.
Dud Richards USA FSK Olympics 1960 A Boeing 707 of Sabena (Flight 548), crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team.
Guy Richardson GBR ROW Olympics 1948 Killed when BEA Vanguard from Edinburgh crashed onto the runway at Heathrow Airport.
Frederick Riley GBR FBL Olympics 1936 Killed in action when his plane was shot down over France.
Thaddäus Robl GER CTR Non-Medal 1900 Died when he was riding in a biplane that crashed near Szczecin, Poland.
Dino Rora ITA SWM Olympics 1964 A Convair CV 440 Metropolitan of the Lufthansa (Flight 005) crashed when go-around shortly after the runway of the Bremen Airport killing all 46 including seven Italian swimmers and their coach.
Clarence, Greve von Rosen, Jr. SWE EJP/EVE Olympics 1932 Killed in an air crash as a passenger during an air show.
Gösta Runö SWE MPN Olympics 1920 Killed when crashing his Phönix D.III biplane fighter.
Ruslan Salei BLR IHO Olympics 1998—2010 Died when a Yakovlev Yak-42D carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team crashed on take-off from Tunoshna Airport.
Abdullah Sayedi IRI FBL Olympics 1964 Died in an accident while working as a pilot
Heini Scheller SUI ROW Olympics 1952 Died in a crash with a private aircraft.
Hermann Schridde GER
FRG
EJP Olympics 1964—1968 Died when his sport plane crashed.
Ralph Schwarz NED ROW Olympics 1988 Died in a plane crash.
Franz Seidl AUT CTR Non-Medal 1900 In 1913 he crashed when approaching the airfield, because he evidently flew a curve too tight, and suffered multiple serious injuries. He died on the transport to a hospital.
Harry Simmons GBR ATH Olympics 1928 Career Air Force officer, he was killed in a flying accident in World War II.
Harbail Singh IND HOC Coach / Referee 1952—1960 Killed in an airplane crash on his return from refereeing at the 1960 Rome Games
Kārlis Skrastiņš LAT IHO Olympics 2002—2010 Died when a Yakovlev Yak-42D carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team crashed on take-off from Tunoshna Airport.
Geoff Smale NZL SAL Olympics 1968 Died when his microlight plane crashed.
Danny Smith BAH ATH Olympics 1972—1976 Smith went missing after an airplane he was in developed trouble near the Bahama Islands. His body was never found.
Sonny Spencer GBR ATH Olympics 1924 Died as a RAF aircrew sergeant when a Short Sunderland 3 crashed on a night training flight in the Scottish highlands during World War II.
Eric, Vicomte De Spoelberch BEL BOB Olympics / Other 1936 Killed after his plane crashed during a training flight.
Karel Stibor CZE
TCH
IHO Olympics 1948 A Beechcraft Model 18 disappeared over the English Channel, all eight died including six Czechoslovak ice hockey players.
Ignaz Stiefsohn AUT GLD Non-Medal 1936 Died when preparing for the Gliding demonstration event.
Vilibald Šťovík CZE
TCH
IHO Olympics 1948 A Beechcraft Model 18 disappeared over the English Channel, all eight died including six Czechoslovak ice hockey players.
Arthur Sweeney GBR ATH Olympics 1936 He died in a plane crash over Ghana while fighting in World War II.
Aldo Tait ITA GLD Non-Medal 1936 Died when the Twin Otter he was aboard crashed while flying in dense fog.
Jack Taylor USA SWM Olympics 1952 Died practising aircraft carrier landings near Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
Reg Thomas GBR ATH Olympics 1928—1932 Died in a peacetime flight when the plane he was flying crashed into a nursing home.
Endre Tilli HUN FEN Olympics / Referee 1952—1956 A Lockheed Super Constellation of KLM (Flight 607-E), crashed 180 kilometres west of Shannon, Ireland, killing all 99.
Chris Timms NZL SAL Olympics 1984—1988 Died when he was flying in a two-seater plane that crashed in the Firth of Thames (NZL).
Freddie Tomlins GBR FSK Olympics 1936 Died as a RAF crew-member in fight against a German submarine in/over the British Channel.
Ladislav Troják TCH
SVK
IHO Olympics 1936—1948 A Beechcraft Model 18 disappeared over the English Channel, all eight died including six Czechoslovak ice hockey players.
Jack Turnbull USA HOC/LAX Olympics / Non-Medal 1932—1936 His bomber was shot down over Belgium.
Nancy Uranga CUB FEN Olympics 1976 A Douglas DC-8 of Cubana crashed after terrorist bombing near Brigdetown (BAR), killing all 73.
Rodolfo Valenzuela ARG FEN Olympics / Administrator 1932—1955 Died in a plane crash.
Josef Vašíček CZE IHO Olympics 2010 Died when a Yakovlev Yak-42D carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team crashed on take-off from Tunoshna Airport.
Alexis Vastine FRA BOX Olympics 2008—2012 Two Eurocopter AS350 helicopters collided near Villa Castelli, Argentina, killing all 10.
Maribel Vinson USA FSK Olympics 1928—1936 A Boeing 707 of Sabena (Flight 548), crashes on approach in Brussels, Belgium, killing 73, including the entire United States figure skating team.
Magnus Wegelius FIN GAR/SHO Olympics 1908—1924 Died in crash of KLM airliner at Croydon Airport in South London, England.
James Welsh USA ROW Olympics 1952 Died from injuries sustained in the crash of a U-6A Beaver.
Emelyn Whiton USA SAL Olympics 1952 A Boeing 707 of American Airlines (Flight 1) crashed shortly after the start from New York International (Idlewild) Airport (later John F. Kennedy International Airport) after a short circuit, killing all 95.
Wu Chuanyu CHN SWM Olympics 1948—1952 Died in a plane crash.
Karl Wyss SUI MPN Olympics 1936 Died after crashing his Bücker Bü-133 Jungmeister aircraft near Payerne.