While Indiana has been the site of many incredible events, from the first race of the Indy 500 to the 2012 Superbowl, it’s also been the site of some terrible tragedies. In fact, the Hoosier state was the site of a horrific, deadly plane crash a few decades ago that will never be forgotten.

On October 31st, 1994, American Eagle Flight 4184 was scheduled to fly from Indianapolis to Chicago. Tragically, the plane never made it to its final destination.
Aero Icarus/Wikimedia
A cold front moved and caused the plane to lose control. Temperatures were reported around 37 degrees Fahrenheit, though nearby temperatures were closer to 24.8. The sudden drop in temperature turned the moisture in the air to freezing rain, a dangerous condition for any plane to encounter.
MinnesotaMan13/YouTube

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Pilots lost control of the vehicle once, and the plane did a complete roll upside down before control was regained. However, as the plane descended, pilots lost control again and were unable to recover control before crashing into a soybean field in Roselawn, Indiana.
MinnesotaMan13/YouTube
The crash killed all passengers on board (64 passengers and 4 crew members). It was the worst ATR-72 plane accident of its kind and still remains the deadliest (only matched by a 2010 crash with the same number of deaths). The ATR-72's inability to properly deal with icy conditions was cited as the main cause of accident. A roadside memorial can be found just outside of Roselawn in honor of the victims.
MinnesotaMan13/YouTube
To learn more about this tragic accident, you can watch the below crash simulation from Youtuber MinnesotaMan13 that explains exactly what happened on the plane and shows footage of actual recovery efforts.

Do you remember hearing about this tragic, deadly plane crash in Indiana in the 90’s? Unfortunately, it’s not the only tragic accident that’s occurred in the Hoosier state. Click here to learn more about the worst accident to ever claim the lives of Hoosiers.

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