Following the U.S. Championships , all the top skaters with the exception of Brown ( who was ill ; his place was taken by fourth-place finisher Ramsay ) took part in the North American Figure Skating Championships in Philadelphia , where Owen captured the ladies title . The team then immediately departed for the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague on February 14 , 1961 , on board Sabena Flight 548 . However , they never arrived ; their flight crashed near Brussels , Belgium the next morning , killing all on board ( including coaches , officials , and family members ) . The few team members who had not made the trip included skater Brown , and coach Ronald Ludington ( who was unable to afford the travel expenses )
Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
1961 U.S. Figure Skating Championships