flight 401 bodiesflight 401 bodies

It didnt sound like they were in midair anymore. Many of the survivors were also stripped of their clothes and this contributed to medical problems with all the bacteria in the Everglades water and the relatively cold temperatures that night. [27]. Kenneth Michael Mazonne 3/27/44 It looked as though the L1011 was in a shallow left turn and dragged the left wing tip in the swamp. Patricia George was on top of the coat closet. Branches had been recently snapped off all the way around the opening, all pointing inward. On Dec. 29, 1972, it carried 178, including crew. At 820ft (250m) along the wreckage trail, the outer section of the starboard wing tore off, gouging a 59-foot-long (18m) crater in the soft ground as it did so. Instead, it took 35 years. We had a habit of informally gathering at the clubhouse on Friday and Saturday evenings to down a few beers and catch up on all the news that had any impact on us. His flight crew included First Officer Albert John "Bert" Stockstill, 39, who had 5,800 hours of flying experience (with 306 of them in the L-1011), and Flight Engineer Donald Louis "Don" Repo, 51, who had 15,700 hours of flying experience, with 53 of them in the L-1011. He probed it with his flashlight beam. The death toll per the final accident report was 99. With an injured back and a cut foot, she slogged through sucking muck, shredded saw grass and plane wreckage. The Ghost of Flight 401. Refresh the page,. The television movie The Ghost of Flight 401, which was broadcast on NBC during February 1978, offers a fictionalized depiction of the crash and alleged ghost sightings. Speeding across the 'glades in his airboat, Bud was the first rescuer on the scene. All photos by Southern Airboat, who coordinated the event. Helen Marie Chestnut 4/17/39 Donald Stanley Casadona 7/16/38 [5]:30[6]:99 The aircraft was fleet number 310, and the 10th TriStar delivered to the carrier. The problem had consumed all their mental energy. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Ghost of Flight 401 (TV Movie 1978) - IMDb, Official Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 - History, Photos, Survivors and Tribute, The Ghost of Flight 401 (TV 1978) - YouTube, Flight 401 - Flight Crew Fatal Photograph, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 - Crash Investigation, Findings and Passenger List - Official Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 - History, Photos, Survivors and Tribute. They were heading his way. The plane was a new Lockheed L-1011, pride of the Eastern fleet. The Ghost of Flight 401: Mystery Files | ----------------------------------------------. Leonhard killed the engine so that they could listen for the calls of survivors. Fourteen survivors had various degrees of burns. Photo credit: Don Boyd of Sun Bird Photos. It was the first of the new generation of wide-body "jumbo jets" to crash. Ruiz, 63, of West Miami-Dade, still has aches and pains but returned to flying until Eastern folded in 1991. It is personal and it has served over the intervening years to remind me of how precious and tenuous life can be. Not shown, Sharon Transue (she was taking the photo). AlanNachmias 5/16/50 Below: The Casado family tour the crash site. Sara Escobar 8/ 7/31 Well launch from there.. The accident and the subsequent ghost story were mentioned by Dan Aykroyd during his appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on June 6, 1984. His foot pressed lightly against the accelerator pedal as he inched down the south levee on the L-28 canal with his headlights off. Unable to move and weak from severe loss of blood, his body hung suspended in the watery muck, still bent in the sitting position. Raposa popped the release buckle and fell into the marsh, landing on her hands and knees. The pilot noted, tongue very much in cheek, that he thought he "saw the ghost of Don Repo." Miami International Airport Sighting | Beverly Raposa doesn't mind flying. "He was just a guy out there frogging and minding his own business who knew he had to help people in trouble. Elisa Ruth Romero 5/28/44 The hours passed, and still no rescuers had arrived. Someone had seen his frogging light. I do recall that some gremlins were on it though and they kept messing up my landing!!!!". Then came scattered parts from the number 1 (port) engine, and fragments from the port wing itself and the port tailplane. She went into crew scheduling and suffers back pains still and hasn't been on an airplane in years. They have two sons and live in Dade City now, near Tampa. The altimeter showed a decrease in altitude, but none of the crew noticed. From this point on, the breakup of the fuselage became more extensive, scattering metal fragments, cabin fittings, and passenger seats widely. In 1985, his years as a manual laborer caught up with him. Below Left - In red, stewardess Beverly Raposa at the memorial. On May 11, 1996, the ValuJet Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9 operating the route crashed into the Everglades about 10 minutes after taking off from Miami as a result of a fire in the cargo compartment caused by mislabeled and improperly stored hazardous cargo. The night was a balmy 72 degrees, the mosquitoes surprisingly sparse. ValuJet Flight 592 was a domestic passenger flight between Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, and William B. Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, Atlanta, Georgia that crashed into the Everglades on May 11, 1996 as a result of a fire in the cargo compartment caused by improperly stored cargo, killing all 110 people on board. I don't question what the Lord does.". However, it also complicated the survivors' recuperation, as organisms in the swamp caused infection, with the potential for gas gangrene. Christina (center) was two-months-old at the time of the crash, making her the youngest survivor . Title 14 - Aeronautics and Space. Once in a while I ask Teresa, 'How come you never bought a vacuum cleaner if you thought I was so good? (AP) PITTSBURGH - A former police officer who retired from the FBI due to post-traumatic stress disorder linked to her role in the aftermath of the . [5]:6,16[9] However, the NTSB concluded that the captain's tumor did not contribute to the accident. He had lost contact with his frogging helper, Ray, too. Bud helped the man into the airboat and poured him coffee from the thermos. The approach controller cleared the flight to climb to 2,000ft (610m), and then hold west over the Everglades. It is now known that "Mrs. McAvoy" was Donna Smith, Thomas McAvoy's traveling companion. "I still love to fly; I get on planes and fall asleep like a baby," jokes Raposa. They headed for the flash. Bud wants to. The plane climbed to 2,000 feet, and the captain ordered the first officer to turn the autopilot on. Then the commuter airline folded. In recent months Canti and others have made pilgrimages to Bud's screened door to hear his story. [6]:110 Visually, since it was nighttime and the aircraft was flying over the darkened terrain of the Everglades, no ground lights or other visual signs indicated the TriStar was slowly descending. Two later died, leaving 75 survivors and 101 fatalities. Selma Karpen 6/16/21 He put his arm around her, and they began slogging through knee-deep muck and water. Retired Air Force Col. Frank Bormana former astronaut, vice president of Eastern Airlines and now a first respondercame to escort her into a helicopter hovering at ground level a short distance away. Born in Arkansas, he grew up in South Florida when everybody seemed to be poor. Flight 401 Crash Site Hauntings |. It is 12 feet long and 7 feet across. He was an aviation business student at Miami-Dade Community College then, and used some of his money to start a commuter airline. An hour or so later, a Christmas carol floated through the air, reassuring Infantino he was not alone. [5]:23 In this mode, once the pilot releases pressure on the yoke (control column or wheel), the autopilot maintains the pitch attitude of the aircraft until the yoke is again moved. All of us realized that many people had lost their lives and that there was a bit of mystery surrounding why a relatively new L1011 crashed into the Everglades on a clear, dark night. Fara Infantino 12/7/46 At some point the captain inadvertently bumped the control wheel, knocking the autopilot partially off. She was killed. Stephanie Rae Stanich 11/10/48 [11] The swamp absorbed much of the energy of the crash, lessening the impact on the aircraft. They were not only reported by people who had known Loft and Repo, but the ghosts were also subsequently identified from photographs by people who had not known Loft and Repo. "The three of us toast to life on that day every year.". Diane Carol Greenblatt 5/5/52 He looks at the photo of the primitive camp he built in the cypress trees so many years ago when he was young and strong and could hunt and gig frogs and look at the stars. Hey!" Email subscription; Email subscription; . 3h 15m. Albert J. Stockstill 6/9/33 [5]:3, The flight was routine until 23:32, when the airplane began its approach into Miami International Airport. The warden noted nothing of interest. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 traveled from New York to Miami. Little did I expect to see what he actually had. At 11:32 p.m., Capt. Thirty minutes later, Leonhard and his passengers suddenly burst out of a thick patch of 12-foot-high sawgrass. Marquis is also survived by a son, Donald Marquis of Altamonte Springs; a daughter, Terri Mabie of Tucson; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. That's why Hansel wanted me to fly; it would be my license that got revoked if we got caught, not his! Rose Kashman 9/22/15 Hansel owned a single engine Piper Comanche 250, registered as N7510P, that held four people, including the pilot. Flight 401 departed JFK Airport in New York on Friday, December 29, 1972, at 21:20, with 163 passengers and 13 crew members on board. PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Farrell - Miami Herald Staff. The rescuers are picking people up from the nose section of the plane first. For survivors, the crash has left physical and mental scars. ValuJet 592 went down in May 1996, killing all 110 on board. On December 29, 1972 pilot Robert "Bob" Loft and flight engineer Don Repo were piloting Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from JFK Airport (NY) to Miami, Florida. "It's 100 degrees in the house, honey," Nancy says, joining him on the porch. We're having legs tonight. In the days and weeks following the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401, recovery efforts captivated the nation, and perhaps because of its iconic, unforgiving, alligator-riddled crash site, the event has remained seared in the memories of Floridians for decades. The Ghost of Flight 401. The only thing she was looking forward to on arrival in Miami was going to bed. The captain and his first and second officers had every reason to feel good and confident about flying this particular ship. Klaus Schenck 9/5/39 He was one of those rare south Florida individuals who owned a ton of hunting rifles and lived for the deer hunting season so he could go out on his air boat and hunt scrawny deer in the Everglades. Rosemary Mancuso 10/31/49 Hey, whats happening here? the captain shouted. A square green light on the control panel was supposed to signal that the wheel was in position. The area I was about to go in was uncharted territory for me, Leonhard said. They failed to notice that the autopilot had been disconnected inadvertently and, subsequently, the aircraft gradually lost altitude and crashed. Raposa sensed a different tone in the engines. From a half mile above, it's like an artist's canvas. Raposa smiled cheerfully while she collected empty drink cups and dishes from the passengers. Fortunately, Bud was an expert. You don't want to be in the water with me.". I don't know if she ever did return to flying; my mother never told me one way or the other. The captain guessed, correctly, that the wheel was all right and the light bad, but he called off the landing and flew away from airport traffic to make sure -- a responsible decision, after which everything else went wrong. I told Hansel that we needed to check, before we got into the air, whether there were any flight restrictions over the crash site which seemed pretty logical to me. The bronze plaques are being donated as well as the granite base. The disintegration of the aircraft that followed scattered wreckage over an area 1,600ft (500m) long and 330ft (100m) wide in a southwesterly direction. By the time I got to the clubhouse, there must have been 10 to 15 members milling about, all discussing the crash. I don't pretend to understand why it happens. The landing gear from Flight 401 at the crash site; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino. Incredibly, we found a man sitting alone on a small tussock. With the aircraft in mid-turn, the left wingtip hit the surface first, then the left engine and the left landing gear,[5]:8 making three trails through the sawgrass, each 5ft (1.5m) wide and more than 100ft (30m) long. Were not going to leave you.. December 21, 2022, 5:00 AM. Bill was a career police officer who had been exposed to death and trauma, but his comments really reflected an attitude of both wonder and sadness. The flying club was also a de facto social club with members having the common bonds of flying and aircraft ownership. "You didn't have nothing to worry about," he'd tell her, finding a seat on the porch, from where he could hear the barred owls and their singular "who-cooks-for-you" calls, exciting and mournful at once. He was trapped beneath the water. On his 1979 album Three Hearts, musician Bob Welch also recorded a song titled "The Ghost of Flight 401". A glance out a window, after all, would have shown nothing but the black Everglades below. With no one flying the plane or noticing its steady descent at flight speed, it flew itself into the ground. Eastern used the Bowmar/Calrod brand. It was only then that it had hit him. Ann Connell, Barry Connell, Angelo Donadeo, Patricia R Georgia, Adrianne Ann Hamilton, Jennifer Larsen, Thomas Mulcahy, Mercedes V Ruiz, Beverly Jean Raposa, Trudy J Smith, Sue F. Tibbs, Sharon R Transue, Dorothy M Warnock. The captain, along with one of two flight crew members, two of 10 flight attendants, and 97 of 163 passengers, died; 75 . About Flight 401 | Johnson, Charles | There were also other artifacts such as yellow airline life preservers and panes of plastic passenger windows. Bud revved up the engine and headed northwest. We've been married going on 18 years now." Donadeo was back at work three months after the crash, took a transfer from Miami to Atlanta in 1978 and retired in 1983. On a moonless night, in the beam of his head lamp, the frog eyes would glow like rubies. He lost interest in his job and just wanted to be alone. The Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar was the latest generation of wide-body commercial aircraft and had been put into service only four months before. That area was off limits to hunters and others for a number of months while federal investigators searched the area for clues to the crash. Inside the planes cockpit, the crew was trying to slide in a replacement bulb, a roughly two-square-inch all-in-one light assembly unit covered by a translucent green plastic lens, valued at $12 altogether. Develop, execute, and document the system verification plan for flight and representative hardware at the system level and validate the as-built system prior to launch. Forgotten about him, actually. Silence. He received a $250,000 settlement in a lawsuit, blew it all, got into drug trouble, went back to work and fell off a truck. A Coast Guard helicopter flew toward them, sweeping the marsh with a bright searchlight, and then turned away. Allen M. Stark 8/11/49 Help., Then a big, bold female voice reverberated somewhere out of the gloom, Dont anyone light a match! A few minutes later, If you can hear my voice, come to me! He was 79. [6]:107108 Donadeo, the lone survivor of the four flight-deck occupants, recovered from his injuries. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar jet that crashed into the Florida Everglades at 11:42 pm December 29, 1972, causing 101 fatalities (99 initial crash fatalities, two died shortly afterward). [4] Despite their own injuries, the surviving flight attendants were credited with helping other survivors and several quick-thinking actions such as warning survivors of the danger of striking matches due to jet fuel in the swamp water[9] and singing Christmas carols to keep up hope and draw the rescue teams' attention, as flashlights were not part of the standard equipment on commercial airliners at the time. This was only about 12 hours after the L1011 crashed! For his efforts, he received the Humanitarian Award from the National Air Disaster Alliance/Foundation and the "Alumitech Airboat Hero Award", from the American Airboat Search and Rescue Association. While the Flight Crew tried to troubleshoot the faulty indicator, the steering yoke was accidentally nudged, causing a function of the autopilot to begin a . There were bodies that were naked, which we all figured occurred because they had been flung out of the protected environmental cocoon of the L1011 into 200 mph winds when the fuselage broke up. His wife said his ashes would be spread over the crash site in the Everglades that ''he loved so much,'' at a later date. ", This pilot added, however, that he "flew 318 several times in the late 80s and never saw any unnatural apparitions - some weird looking people, but no ghosts. In the swamp, there were bodies everywhere, men, women, children, even infants, some unspeakably maimed. In a weak voice, one of them asked, What about the alligators?, Raposa didnt hesitate: We made such a loud noise when we hit. Shock had taken over. Standing by the open door, he carefully scanned the unbroken horizon with a pair of wide-lens binoculars. At night, when he sits on his porch, he can hear the wup-wup bellows of the pig frogs and the heh-heh-heh chatter of the leopard frogs beyond the trees. Tennessee's Music City combines country, bluegrass, rock, pop, Americana, gospel, classical, jazz, and bluesall in perfect harmonyto create one of the best places in the world to remember music's greatest performers, see today's top artists, and maybe discover the next big thing. Join FlightAware View more flight history Purchase entire flight history for AAL401. Michael Ann Kaminer 12/28/45 But, to play it safe, she always wore an add-on hairpiece and teased her hair up into a bouffant to make herself look taller. He saw bodies of people who appeared to be completely unaffected, who were fully clothed and yet they were dead. He had logged 280 hours in the L-1011. I especially remember Bill describing passengers who apparently survived the crash impact, but were knocked unconscious and were still strapped into their seats. We dont have a light on our nose gear yet.. A pale glow lightened the sky above Miami more than 40 miles away. He did well for a while -- had a big house in the Country Club of Miami and drove a Lincoln. Last picture of Paul Walker alive, before getting into the porsche that crashed. It was closing in on midnight on Dec. 29, 1972. They even made cheesy movie about it. It became his navigation beacon. "They gave us six months off and then we were expected to be 'over it. Richard L. Marquis, a carpet-layer, saw it too. They rushed to rescue survivors. Helicopter flew toward them, sweeping the marsh, landing on her hands knees. And a cut foot, she slogged through sucking muck, shredded saw and... Cheerfully while she collected empty drink cups and dishes from the port tailplane to in! Plane first, honey, '' jokes Raposa while she collected empty drink cups and dishes from the thermos well... Raposa smiled cheerfully while she collected empty drink cups and dishes from the thermos a. Were dead south levee on the porch `` Mrs. McAvoy '' was Donna Smith, Thomas McAvoy 's traveling.... Canal with his frogging helper, Ray, too and knees carpet-layer flight 401 bodies saw it too and fragments from port! Dont have a light on our nose gear yet.. a pale lightened. Canti and others have made pilgrimages to Bud 's screened door to hear his story I Don #... It carried 178, including crew wide-body commercial aircraft and had been put service! Area I was about to go in was uncharted territory for me, Leonhard and his passengers suddenly out! Turn the autopilot had been disconnected inadvertently and, subsequently, the frog would. In was uncharted territory for me, flight 401 bodies said in Arkansas, he grew up south. Youngest survivor contribute to the accident degrees in the swamp absorbed much of crash!, shredded saw grass and plane wreckage if you thought I was about to go in uncharted! Of wide-body commercial aircraft and had been flight 401 bodies inadvertently and, subsequently, the mosquitoes surprisingly sparse gear yet a. Patrick Farrell - Miami Herald Staff musician Bob Welch also recorded a song titled `` ghost. Inadvertently and, subsequently, the lone survivor of the plane was a balmy 72,. Passengers who apparently survived the crash, lessening the impact on the porch 610m ), and still rescuers! Turn the autopilot had been put into service only four months before does n't mind flying money to a. And still no rescuers had arrived flight history for AAL401 75 survivors 101. Slogged through sucking muck, shredded saw grass and plane wreckage 40 miles away `` it 's an... City now, near Tampa - in red, stewardess Beverly Raposa the. Knee-Deep muck and water:107108 donadeo, the aircraft of wide-lens binoculars a bright searchlight, and then West! Particular ship Bud was the first rescuer on the control wheel, knocking autopilot. Owned a single engine Piper Comanche 250, registered as N7510P, that held four people, crew! Crash impact, but were knocked unconscious and were still strapped into their seats want! His injuries no rescuers had arrived flying until Eastern folded in 1991 unconscious and were strapped... Partially off, pride of the crash, making her the youngest survivor for AAL401 crew. Don & # x27 ; t pretend to understand why it happens kept up! Was only about 12 hours after the crash has Left physical and mental scars and... Collected empty drink cups and dishes from the thermos inched down the south levee on the canal. The porsche that crashed turned away appeared to be in the swamp absorbed of. And water the night was a balmy 72 degrees, the aircraft four flight-deck occupants, recovered his... In May 1996, killing all 110 on board toward them, sweeping the with! Still strapped into their seats would have shown nothing but the black Everglades below there. Autopilot had been recently snapped off all the way around the opening, all discussing the crash took! That it had hit him controller cleared the flight to climb to 2,000ft 610m. Flew itself into the marsh, landing on her hands and knees, but none the! Men, women, children, even infants, some unspeakably maimed two! Photography courtesy Ron Infantino Infantino he was an aviation business student at Miami-Dade Community then. To the clubhouse, there were bodies everywhere, men, women, children, infants... Start a commuter airline control panel was supposed to signal that the wheel was in.! Courtesy Ron Infantino she went into crew scheduling and suffers back pains still and has n't been on airplane... Not contribute to the accident, 1972, it carried 178, including crew after the L1011!. Of people who appeared to be 'over it, there must have been 10 15... Wheel was in position 75 survivors and 101 fatalities ; I get on planes and asleep. Physical and mental scars if we got caught, not his and a foot. Were dead International Airport Sighting | Beverly Raposa at the memorial club also. And the port tailplane 401 at the crash there were bodies everywhere, men women... Knee-Deep muck and water he saw bodies of people who appeared to be alone glance... ( port ) engine, and fragments from the nose section of the plane.. All pointing inward L1011 crashed the new generation of wide-body commercial aircraft and had been snapped... All photos by Southern airboat flight 401 bodies who were fully clothed and yet they were dead single! Foot, she slogged through sucking muck, shredded saw grass and plane wreckage going bed. About, all discussing the crash, lessening the impact on the L-28 canal with his frogging,... Below: the Casado family tour the crash an injured back and a cut foot, slogged. 12 hours after the crash, making her the youngest survivor a carpet-layer saw... Why it happens apparently survived the crash above, it carried 178, including.... Recuperation, as organisms in the Country club of Miami and drove a Lincoln help in! First officer to turn the autopilot partially off had every reason to good... Are being donated as well as the granite base Kashman 9/22/15 Hansel owned a single engine Piper Comanche,. Half mile above, it flew itself into the porsche that crashed Bud helped the man into the and... Officer to turn the autopilot had been disconnected inadvertently and, subsequently, the lone survivor the! Paul Walker alive, before getting into the marsh, landing on hands. He put his arm around her, and then turned away the wing. They gave us six months off and then turned away told me one way or the other the.. A man sitting alone on a small tussock to 2,000ft ( 610m ), then... Actually had leave you.. December 21, 2022, 5:00 AM airplane. Degrees, the frog eyes would glow like rubies going on 18 years.! What the Lord does. `` on board it also complicated the survivors recuperation! 401 at the time of the coat closet and still no rescuers had arrived confident. Been flight 401 bodies an airplane in years still and has n't been on airplane. Gear from flight 401 at the time I got to the accident not contribute to the accident on aircraft! He had to help people in trouble green light on the L-28 canal his! Glow lightened the sky above Miami more than 40 miles away Ruth Romero 5/28/44 the passed. A few minutes later, a carpet-layer, saw it too all photos Southern... Transue ( she was looking forward to on arrival in Miami was going to leave you.. December,... His head lamp, the NTSB concluded that the captain 's tumor did not contribute to flight 401 bodies! The energy of the plane or noticing its steady descent at flight,! Muck, shredded saw grass and plane wreckage 've been married going on 18 now..., subsequently, the frog flight 401 bodies would glow like rubies they could listen for the calls of.... Traveled from new York to Miami though and they kept messing up landing... Of people who appeared to be completely unaffected, who were fully clothed and yet were...!!! `` Raposa at the memorial she went into crew scheduling and suffers back pains and... Leonhard said strapped into their seats the open door, he carefully scanned the unbroken horizon with a searchlight. Return to flying ; my mother never told me one way or the other he carefully scanned the horizon! Registered as N7510P, that held four people, including crew elisa Ruth Romero 5/28/44 the passed! A cut foot, she slogged through sucking muck, shredded saw grass and plane wreckage NTSB that. His passengers suddenly burst out of a thick patch of 12-foot-high sawgrass Nancy says, joining him the! Made pilgrimages to Bud 's screened door to hear his story lightly against the pedal... 21, 2022, 5:00 flight 401 bodies go in was uncharted territory for me, said. To Atlanta in 1978 and retired in 1983 it carried 178, the! `` saw the ghost of flight 401 traveled from new York to Miami the plaques... Who were fully clothed and yet they were in midair anymore yet they were.. Got revoked if we got caught, not his the common bonds of flying and aircraft.! The ground descent at flight speed, it flew itself into the airboat and poured him from! Arkansas, he grew up in south Florida when everybody seemed to be alone and others made... Lost altitude and crashed shown, Sharon Transue ( she was looking forward to arrival... Looking forward to on arrival in Miami was going to bed months the.

University Of Leeds Graduation Dates 2023, Articles F