On 15 February 1961, the Boeing 707-329 operating the flight crashed on approach to Brussels Airport, killing all 72 people on board and one person on the ground.

It then leveled its wings, pitched up abruptly, lost speed and spiraled rapidly, nose-down,[4] plunging into the ground less than two miles (3 km) from the airport at 10:05 CET (09:05 UTC).

[5][9] Eyewitnesses said that the plane exploded when it struck the ground, and heavy black smoke was seen emanating from the wreckage, which had burst into flames.

[7] Theo de Laet, a young farmer and noted amateur cyclist who was working in a field near the crash site, was killed by a piece of aluminum shrapnel from the plane.

[5][10] Father Joseph Cuyt, a local priest who had been observing the airplane as it approached to land, rushed to the scene but was repelled by the intense heat of the fire.

[5] Baudouin I, King of the Belgians, and his consort Queen Fabiola traveled to the scene of the disaster[10] to provide comfort to the bereaved families.

[15] A telegram was sent from ISU headquarters reading: "In view of the tragic death of 44 [sic] American skaters and officials the 1961 world championship will not be held.

[17] In office for less than a month, President John F. Kennedy issued a statement of condolence from the White House reading: "Our country has sustained a great loss of talent and grace which had brought pleasure to people all over the world.

"[17] Kennedy was personally affected by the tragedy, as pairs skater Dudley Richards was a friend with whom he had spent summers in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

[17] Barbara Roles, the 1960 Olympic bronze medalist, felt obligated to abandon her retirement and won a gold medal at the 1962 U.S. Championships, less than eight months after giving birth to her first child.

U.S. team coach William Kipp, who was killed in the crash,[18] was replaced by British former world champion pairs skater John Nicks in the fall of 1961.

Italian world bronze medalist Carlo Fassi also relocated from overseas to help rebuild the American figure skating program.

Figure Skating executives to issue a mandate that still applies today: no team traveling to an international competition is permitted to fly together.

[5] Although there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt which of the flight systems had malfunctioned,[1] the FAA felt that the tail stabilizer-adjusting mechanism had failed, allowing the stabilizer to run to the "10.5deg nose-up position.

Figure Skating commissioned the production of a full-length feature documentary film titled RISE to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the crash.