Steve Lutz marks 25th anniversary of Oklahoma State basketball plane crash with Remember the Ten commemoration

Remember the Ten: Oklahoma State prepares to commemorate Jan. 27, 2001 tragedy

Oklahoma State men’s basketball coach Steve Lutz has used the days leading into the 25th anniversary of the program’s 2001 plane crash to emphasize remembrance, education and continuity inside the team’s current locker room. The anniversary falls on Jan. 27, 2026, marking 25 years since a charter flight returning from a road game in Colorado crashed near Strasburg, Colorado, killing all 10 people on board.

The crash involved a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 (tail number N81PF) carrying eight passengers associated with Oklahoma State basketball and two pilots. Those killed were players Daniel Lawson and Nate Fleming; radio broadcaster Bill Teegins; broadcast engineer Kendall Durfey; media relations coordinator Will Hancock; director of basketball operations Pat Noyes; athletic trainer Brian Luinstra; student manager Jared Weiberg; and pilots Denver Mills and Bjorn Fahlstrom.

How the program observes the anniversary

In Stillwater, the university’s annual “Remember the Ten” observance has become a fixed point on the program’s calendar, pairing an on-campus memorial tradition with a game-day commemoration in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Ahead of this year’s anniversary, Lutz brought his players to the memorial space inside the arena to outline the history of the crash and the significance the date holds for families, alumni and the Stillwater community.

Oklahoma State’s 25th-anniversary commemoration has been tied to a home game against Iowa State, continuing the program’s practice of using a designated contest to highlight remembrance and to recognize those who died.

What investigators concluded about the 2001 crash

Federal investigators determined the accident occurred as the flight operated in instrument meteorological conditions. The investigation concluded the probable cause was the pilot’s spatial disorientation, with the loss of alternating-current electrical power during instrument conditions listed as a contributing factor. The aircraft broke up in flight and was destroyed by impact and post-crash fire.

Why the anniversary remains central to Oklahoma State athletics

The 2001 tragedy affected a broad cross-section of the program: players, communications staff, medical support, operations personnel, and members of the broadcast team. Over time, the university has institutionalized remembrance through the arena memorial and annual events that reinforce the names and roles of those lost.

For the current team, the approach has been framed as an extension of that long-running tradition—ensuring players and staff understand the historical context of “Remember the Ten” and the reason the anniversary is observed each year.

• The crash occurred on Jan. 27, 2001, near Strasburg, Colorado, after Oklahoma State played at Colorado.

• All 10 people aboard the aircraft died, including two players and six program-affiliated staff and broadcasters.

• Investigators cited pilot spatial disorientation as the probable cause, with electrical power loss a contributing factor.

“Remember the Ten” has become Oklahoma State’s annual framework for keeping the victims’ names and roles central to the program’s identity.