On this date sixty years ago, a plane carrying the Cal Poly football team crashed shortly after take off following a game against Bowling Green.
It was a twin engine Curtiss Wright Super C46F, a World War II surplus plane, that crashed shortly after takeoff from Toledo Express airport in NW Ohio. The crash killed 16 Mustang football players, the student manager, a team booster and four others, including both pilots.
26 people on board the plane survived. 19 players, four coaches, the team physician and the flight attendant. A reporter also survived. At the time, it was the worst sports air disaster in history.
Retired Cuesta college superintendent Gil Stork survived the crash. But he tells KPRL, he had survivor guilt for many years. Gil Stork broke his back in the crash. He was told by doctors he would never walk again, but after rehabilitation, he returned and played one more year for Cal Poly. He later coached football at Cuesta college.
