On November 14, 1970, a Southern Airways DC-9 crashed near Tri-State Airport near Huntington, killing all 75 people on board. The victims included nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, and several fans. The team had been returning from a game in North Carolina. Among the victims were head coach Rick Tolley and athletic director Charles Kautz. The crash was caused by pilot error or faulty equipment, but improvements made to the airport after the crash may have prevented it. The tragedy is still remembered at Marshall University, with an annual memorial at the campus fountain dedicated to those who died.