From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Laurence Owen was only 16, but was already the USA figure skating champion when her plane went down in a field in Belgium on Feb. 15, 1961 with the rest of the US team (including her older sister Maribel) aboard. It was the first commercial crash of a Boeing 707, and 18 members of the team were killed, along with 16 officials. The World Championships that year were cancelled.
http://www.vesperis.com/skate/1961/articles.html#life

