When a Tiny Engine Part Killed a Senator and His Daughter

Aviation Survival Stories · Oct 16, 2026 · 16m

When a Tiny Engine Part Killed a Senator and His Daughter

A single failed propeller control unit turned routine physics into a sudden catastrophe that killed 23 people on April 5, 1991. A former U.S. senator and his 35-year-old daughter were among the dead-how did one small component end a life that survived war, politics, and public disgrace?

In this episode, we tell the story of Flight 2311 and the people on board, tracing John Goodwin Tower’s path from the Pacific War to the Senate and the moments before the crash, while asking what the wreckage reveals about the end of his life and…