Los Alamos County and LANL officials and family members, friends and colleagues of those killed in the tragic crash of Ross Aviation Flight 7 in 1972 gathered this afternoon to dedicate a memorial in their honor at the Los Alamos County Airport. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

Los Alamos County Council Chair Denise Derkacs delivers remarks at today’s memorial unveiling to commemorate the tragic crash of Ross Aviation Flight 7. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

Staff Report

Los Alamos County dedicated a memorial this afternoon at the Los Alamos County Airport to commemorate the tragic crash of Ross Aviation Flight 7 that took the lives of the pilot and eight Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory employees 51 years ago.

County and LANL officials and family members, friends and colleagues of those killed in the tragic crash gathered this afternoon to unveil the memorial.

Chartered by the Atomic Energy Commission to transport employees from Albuquerque to Los Alamos, the twin-engine light aircraft crashed on May 19, 1972, shortly after takeoff. There were no survivors.

According to the accident report prepared by the National Transportation Safety Board, the probable cause was the “inadvertent opening of the forward cargo compartment door and the subsequent discharge of cargo,” damaging the left propeller. 

Those on board were:

Mr. Bruce A. Bean
Mr. William P. Frye
Mr. Johnnie E. Gallegos
Mr. John A Gill
Dr. Wright H. Langham
Mr. Donald A. Larson
Mr. Richard O. Niethammer
Mr. Eugene T. Teatum
Mr. Richard T. Zettel, Pilot 

Former Los Alamos County Councilor Sara Scott Los Alamos delivers remarks at today’s memorial unveiling. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com

Jennifer Payne of Los Alamos National Laboratory delivers remarks at today’s memorial unveiling. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com 

Scene of those gathered at the memorial unveiling event this afternoon for those killed in the tragic crash of Ross Aviation Flight 7 in 1972. Photo by Nate Limback/ladailypost.com