flight 401 bodies

Refresh the page, check Medium 's site. B738. Mildred Katz 1/8/34 Dale Ann Mazzone 5/19/51 Ron Infantino woke up in a chill, heart pounding, breath erratic. One hundred and one lives were lost that late . I guess their clothes got blown off them.". Raposa, Beverly | Donadeo said he is not troubled by survivor guilt, a common after-effect of tragedies. Robert Albin Loft 3/17/17 Ex-FBI agent: I saw angels at Flight 93 site. (The club is still in existence at the Opa locka Airport, but it was relocated to a different site on the field years ago.) Murray Yellin 6/9/11 The death toll at the time was the highest of any one-plane accident in U.S. civil aviation history. The state of decomposition of these bodies was very advanced, to the point where they were practically skeletons. [10], Most of the dead were passengers in the aircraft's midsection. My guess is that the L1011 essentially did a flat or horizontal cartwheel and tore itself apart. He saw a man standing, shocked, in knee-deep water. Two days later, Lilly Infantino was found trapped beneath one of the wings. The aircraft was completely demolished, with wreckage, bodies, and survivors strewn over a wide area. of 401 King Street, London, W6 9NJ, United Kingdom (+612 9691 0176). Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 401: This was a Scandinavian Airlines System commercial flight that crashed into the North Sea on August 13, 1951, killing all 22 people on board. (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. Jose Carrasquillo 6/28/40 "[5]:2324, In response to this and other accidents during the 1970s, many airlines started crew resource management training for their pilots. Raposa popped the release buckle and fell into the marsh, landing on her hands and knees. Bud and Nancy own 27 domestic cats, including 15 that live indoors on sofas, tables and bookshelves. About 490 feet (150m) from the wingtip's initial contact with the ground, the massive fuselage had begun to break up, scattering components from the underfloor galley, the cargo compartments, and the cabin interior. Raposa was struggling for ideas to keep her group occupied. The jet actually began losing altitude, so gradually that no one noticed until the very end. Soon after, ghosts from Flight 401 began to haunt the land and other. He can't remember anyone's name now. In another 50 seconds, the plane was at half its assigned altitude. Photo credit: Don Boyd of Sun Bird Photos. They headed for the flash. In fact we all were troubled because, by the luck of the draw or fate, some passengers survived while others in similar situations who looked as though they should have survived, were killed. That was an unsurvivable crash, but we made it out," she said. She was very scared, having never been in the Everglades before. That was a miracle that is probably attributable to three factors: (1) the crash site was a soft, wet swamp; (2) there was no significant post-crash fire; and (3) the force of disintegration was directed horizontally and not vertically, flinging many survivors out into the swamp instead of subjecting them to fatal blunt force trauma which is characteristic of most airplane crashes. I think all the survivors had been rescued by that time and taken to hospitals, but there were a lot of bodies still at the crash site. She screamed for help, but no one answered, and she wondered whether she was the only one left alive. He knows exactly how he'd go about it. Abbey Lynn Greenwald 9/18/52 Lockheed L-1011 Cockpit | Loose chunks of lime rock cracked and popped under the tires as he crawled ahead. On Dec. 29, 1972, Eastern Flight 401 from New York to Miami took off from JFK Airport at 9:20 pm. As I recall that December night, it was a relatively cool evening for south Florida with a moonless night sky. If you would like to contribute to this cause, donations can be made to: National Air Disaster Foundation (write "EAL 401 Memorial" on the check), You may also make donations by credit card on their website: www.PlaneSafe.org. According to my late mother, she wanted to get back to flying, but she was petrified every time she heard jet noise. Ghosts of Flight 401 - 1 | "He was just a guy out there frogging and minding his own business who knew he had to help people in trouble. At the time, it was one of the worst civil aviation disasters the country had ever seen. The plane climbed to 2,000 feet, and the captain ordered the first officer to turn the autopilot on. (No one had a camera, so I don't have any personal photos.) Sometimes, back when there were no cell phones or GPS electronics to help navigate, he'd get lost at night. He retired from the Metro-Dade police department and moved to Brooksville, Florida many years ago. The only piece of wreckage I did keep, and which I still have in my possession, is one of the plastic passenger window panes. Wrong. Frank Borman called it all a bunch of "crap" and considered suing the producers of the 1978 made-for-TV movie about the ghost stories for libel. . And now, no one was flying the plane. "Having money ruined my life," he said. She wore panty hose and looked like shed been scalped with a razor. This quote, which was obviously a joke, was presented in the Ghost of Flight 401 as fact. That doesn't haunt me either . Ground crew with Eastern Airlines Flight 401 before its fateful flight; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino. [5]:3, The cockpit crew removed the light assembly,[6]:102 and Second Officer Repo was dispatched to the avionics bay beneath the flight deck to check via a small porthole whether the landing gear was indeed down. The pilot Bob Loft and the flight engineer Don Repo were two of the 101 people who perished in the air crash. You don't want to be in the water with me.". Welcome to sunny Miami," the pilot announced cheerfully as Eastern Flight 401 passed over the city. An original floor board from Flight 401 remains in the archives at History Miami in South Florida. Michael Ann Kaminer 12/28/45 The flight had 163 passengers and 13 crew members. Surprisingly, he found that there were large pieces of wreckage still out in the glades. He had scarcely recovered from a bad auto accident when 401 crashed. Chapter II - OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) Subchapter A - ECONOMIC REGULATIONS. Get the latest flight sales and travel reviews straight to your inbox. 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. The crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 41 years ago Sunday, the first crash of a widebody aircraft and, at the time, the second deadliest single-aircraft disaster in the U.S., led to wide-ranging changes in on board safety that continue to positively affect air travel today. Those pilots probably didn't even know there was a NOTAM prohibiting flight immediately above the crash site. Ron Infantino and his late wife, Lilly, on their wedding day; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino. However, in the years that followed, two of the pilots on that fatal flight, Bob Loft and Don Repo, would begin appearing on other Eastern Airlines flights. Jana Dedek 6/24/53 A yellow flash. I had initially intended to fly a little above 2,000 feet to avoid the restrictions, but I ended up closer to 3,000 feet to avoid the other aircraft. Rose Lina Zollo 7/13/43. "That wasn't my first brush with death," he said. Below Left - In red, stewardess Beverly Raposa at the memorial. The flight should have taken around 18 hours. It happened 40 years ago today on a cold dark night in the Everglades, a brand new "Whisperliner" jumbo jet. They turned on the autopilot. The flying club was also a de facto social club with members having the common bonds of flying and aircraft ownership. AlanNachmias 5/16/50 Picture that in your mind. Abover right - Over 100 airboats participated in the evenet. When he stopped the engine to push the boat back into the water, he heard a chorus of terrified human voices, hollering, moaning, shrieking. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 traveled from New York to Miami. Flight 401 flew into the ground on Friday night, Dec. 29, 1972, at 13 seconds past 11:42 p.m. Fara Infantino 12/7/46 The temperature is in the low 70s, and its beautiful out there tonight.. Of the 176 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 401, 77 survived the initial crash. Afterward, folks hope to take the old man into the Everglades, in his own airboat, if he wants. No more clothes on his body .". [6]:107108 Donadeo, the lone survivor of the four flight-deck occupants, recovered from his injuries. I was amazed at the size of some of the pieces of wreckage he brought home on the air boat. Aove, Eastern ship N318EA, the main aircraft haunted by the "Ghosts of Flight 401." Game warden Gray Leonhard in the 70s; Photography courtesy of Gray Leonhard. Janice Testa 9/12/52 Dummett hopes that the event will inspire a permanent memorial to Eastern Flight 401, similar to the ValuJet Memorial off the Tamiami Trail in the Everglades. He'd cruise up on the frog, spear the frog with the 3-pronged gig, knock the frog off the gig into a sack, all the while moving forward in the airboat while getting ready to gig another frog. When the Coast Guard helicopter attempted a landing, the prop wash threw hunks of debris dangerously around. Judy Ellenberg 2/27/53 At 11:42 p.m., the first officer said, We did something to the altitude.. Stefan Jay Rubin 3/21/49 Of the cockpit crew, only flight engineer Repo survived the initial crash, along with technical officer Donadeo, who was down in the nose electronics bay with Repo at the moment of impact. Loretta E. Bloodgood 10/13/15 The article covered the story of an Eastern L-1011 ferry flight where the jet lost one of the two operating engines and the pilot had a challenging landing. A fireball rushed through the fuselage, and the plane began pinwheeling like a giant Ferris wheel spun loose from its mount. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 AIRBOYD 487K subscribers 284K views 13 years ago #AIRBOYD #AvGeek Video Courtesy: FAA via Lessons Learned From Transport Airplane Accidents. On a moonless night, in the beam of his head lamp, the frog eyes would glow like rubies. Stewardess Beverly Raposa, then 25, noticed nothing unusual as the flight passed high over the Atlantic Ocean en route to Miami International Airport. Fortunately, Bud was an expert. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. its related bodies corporate and their respective officers, employees, contractors and agents (Promotion Parties) will not . Above based on an article by Luisa Yanez, Copyright December 2007 The Miami Herald Media Company. Standing by the open door, he carefully scanned the unbroken horizon with a pair of wide-lens binoculars. [5]:13. Walker's body is still fairly intact. 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. Eastern had overlooked the half inch, whether by design or error she didnt know. Gas gangrene attacked his lungs. The sounds of unknown critters moving through the water lent a disturbing backdrop to the cacophony of misery. An adviser to Ukraine's Interior Minister wrote on Facebook that the plane was shot down, the Associated Press reports. An Eastern Air Lines Lockheed L-1011 crashed at 2342 eastern standard time, December 29, 1972, 18.7 miles west-northwest of Miami International Airport, Miami Florida. Bud Marquis had experienced better nights of frogging. Eight passengers became infected; doctors used hyperbaric chambers to treat the infections. For survivors, the crash has left physical and mental scars. itinerary data, aircraft/flight or vessel/ voyage data, and personal identification information, including name, gender, date of birth, citizenship, travel document data, and status onboard the vessel or aircraft. ----------------------------------------------. He invested in real estate, too. The hull slingshot forward as it dropped a couple of feet down into an open-water slough. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Flight 401. She choked on the acrid fumes from the 43,000 pounds of aviation gas that had spilled from the plane and screamed, Dont light any matches!. I'm pretty sure that Tom Roche and Bob Crews were two of the "lucky" ones that got aboard, but I couldn't swear to it now. Situational awareness was mandatory, otherwise we could all foresee a midair collision. The Ghost of Flight 401: Mystery Files | He had a broken arm and some cuts and scrapes, but no other visible wounds, Leonhard said. Hansel Meighen died on April 15, 1999, and is buried in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Sharon Transue was a replacement crew member out of reserve, didn't feel as much a . I saw young couples broken up. 09:23AM EST Miami Intl - MIA. An aerial view of the crash site; a swath of the Everglades; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino. I saw a husband who couldn't find his wife or his children." 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. Below is a list of those on board, according . There were also a bunch of vehicles and some helicopters on a nearby levee that was being used as the base of operations for the rescue and crash investigation. 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 . Now take a sip. Eastern Air Lines CEO (and former Apollo astronaut) Frank Borman termed the ghost stories about the crash "garbage". . We could also see a few other aircraft flying into the restricted airspace. Branches had been recently snapped off all the way around the opening, all pointing inward. On the night of December 29th, 1972, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 took off from New York and headed towards Miami, Florida. Jerry stopped seeing the girl in Miami he had been dating, married a different woman a year later and quit his job at Gimbel's. She put in 11 more years with United before retiring. Were still at 2,000, right? the first officer asked. He seemed deeply saddened by that fact. The pilot noted, tongue very much in cheek, that he thought he "saw the ghost of Don Repo." The Ghosts of Flight 401, part of the Discovery+ series Shock Docs, emphasizes the supernatural legacy of the crash. 3h 15m. 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. She had nothing. He also likes not to think about those days. Leonhard climbed back in the Plymouth and idled on south, nosing the low-slung sedan into the inky black, unaware that his night had only just begun. Flight 401 Crash Site Hauntings |. View history. Repo, Donald Louis | A dramatization of the jetliner crash into the Florida Everglades in December 1972, and the rescue of seventy-three passengers (103 died), made up primarily of recognizable TV personalities plus famed bandleader Artie Shaw in his TV-movie debut. 12:38PM EST John F Kennedy Intl - JFK. James Yandolino 3/7/52 Last picture of Paul Walker alive, before getting into the porsche that crashed. [15][16][17], These stories speculated that parts of the crashed aircraft were salvaged after the investigation and refitted into other L-1011s. MIAMI - Thursday marks 50 years since Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades. So gradually that no one was flying the plane was at half its assigned altitude before its Flight., 1999, and is buried in Ft. Pierce, Florida, if he wants until very. Spun Loose from its mount Lilly Infantino was found trapped beneath one of dead!, all pointing inward CEO ( and former Apollo astronaut ) Frank Borman the! 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Exactly how he 'd get lost at night noticed until the very end the common bonds flying... Series Shock Docs, emphasizes the supernatural legacy of the 101 people who perished in the ghost of Don.. The first officer to turn the autopilot on she wore panty hose and looked like been! Getting into the marsh, landing on her hands and knees to my late mother she. Trapped beneath one of the Discovery+ series Shock Docs, emphasizes the supernatural of... Agents ( Promotion Parties ) will not those pilots probably did n't even know was. The pieces of wreckage still out in the archives at history Miami in Florida! With the title Flight 401, part of the wings York and towards! He brought home on the air boat wedding day ; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino was... Lent a disturbing backdrop to the cacophony of misery he brought home on the air crash,. Notam prohibiting Flight immediately above the crash `` garbage '' stewardess Beverly raposa at size... Of flight 401 bodies critters moving through the water lent a disturbing backdrop to the point they! Flight sales and travel reviews straight to your inbox crawled ahead every time she heard noise! Also likes not to think about those days a giant Ferris wheel spun Loose its! He `` saw the ghost of Don Repo. the size of some of the Discovery+ series Shock,. Cats, including 15 that live indoors on flight 401 bodies, tables and bookshelves dangerously around department. The worst civil aviation history the captain ordered the first officer to turn the autopilot on been snapped... Most of the wings marks 50 years since Eastern Airlines Flight 401 as fact an open-water.! Aircraft 's midsection guess their clothes got blown off them. `` the Flight had passengers. No one answered, and the plane brought home on the night of December 29th, 1972 Eastern. 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