Knute Rockne Dies in a Plane Crash

Knute Rockne tragically died on March 31, 1931, in Kansas, when a Transcontinental & Western Air airliner crashed. He was en route to participate in the filming of The Spirit of Notre Dame, which was later released on October 13, 1931. Rockne had made a stop in Kansas City to visit his sons, Bill and Knute Jr., who were attending boarding school at Pembroke-Country Day School. Approximately an hour after departing Kansas City, a wing of the Fokker Trimotor broke apart mid-flight. The plane plummeted into a wheat field near Bazaar, Kansas, resulting in the deaths of Rockne and seven other individuals.

In a somber coincidence, Jess Harper, Rockne's friend and the coach he had succeeded at Notre Dame, resided about 100 miles from the crash site. Harper was called upon to positively identify Rockne's body. A memorial now marks the location of the crash, enclosed by a wire fence with wooden posts. For many years, James Heathman, who was 13 years old in 1931 and among the first to reach the scene, diligently maintained the memorial.