Piatt Memorial Park

On January 16, 1965, a tragic aviation accident occurred in the Piatt Street area of Wichita, which has traditionally been a predominantly African American neighborhood in the city. A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker, a military refueling plane, crashed shortly after takeoff from McConnell Air Force Base. The crash destroyed a significant portion of the residential neighborhood, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members on board and 23 civilians on the ground. It remains one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Kansas history. A memorial now stands at the crash site. The Piatt Memorial Park, located near the crash site, honors the lives lost in the tragic 1965 accident. The memorial features a plaque that lists the names of the 30 victims. It serves as a space for reflection of the impact the event had on the community, remembrance of the lives lost and the resilience of the neighborhood in the wake of the disaster.