WebFlight 401 crash-landed into the Everglades at over 200 mph. Ghosts of Flight 401. Fighting darkness to save livesPetty Officer 2nd Class Don Schneck was aboard a Coast Guard helicopter that followed Marquis' light. A square green light on the control panel was supposed to signal that the wheel was in position. degree history and physical education. News clippings Marquis had kept flew out his broken windows when Hurricane Andrew blew through Homestead in 1992, but he is lucky: the storm destroyed the five houses across the street.

Below: Christina Casada-Acorn, now 35, standing at the crash site in 2007 while holding the dress she was wearing the night of the crash. Dennis Gordon 12/9/32 Resend Activation Email. On impact, their infant daughter had flown out of her mothers arms. Above (L to R): Martin Siminerio in hospital, two file photos from the Miami Herald of survivor Xiomara Casada at Palmetto General with her infant, Christina, in a Miami hospital. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Adelaide Geneve Bearman 9/21/22 On the night of Dec. 29, 1972, holiday parties were in full gear. He dashed to the airboat, carrying only a flashlight, a radio and a hatchet. Flight attendant Beverly Raposa was gathering survivors around her when she heard the airboat. Almost 40 years ago, Eastern Airlines flight 401 crashed.

WebFear of Landing. Ernest F. Bloodgood 4/1/16 Loft, Robert Albin | It contained two burned out light bulbs. Its the holidays. USA. Trudy Jean Smith - Flight 401 crew member - August 24, 1947 ~ November 29, 2020 (age 73. Their marriage spanned 47 years. Nobody knew exactly what happened, said former Eastern flight attendant Irene Baljed. They were flying in to show relatives their new baby, 2-month-old Christina. But Marquis could do little. Maureen I. Chesler 10/12/47 That was it, Xiomara Casado said. He returned to Connecticut with his wife and infant son where he gained employment with Winchester Arms Company in New Haven, Conn. His career at Winchester included various fields of the sporting arms industry. Today was a very important day because these 101 souls who perished should never, ever be forgotten. Schneck waded out alone toward the cockpit; he was the last person to see Loft alive.

Official rescuers soon followed. Helicopters in the distance. So it is possible that the soft, short audio alert went unnoticed in the din of cockpit noise.

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Cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo list... Elena Gonzalez 9/3/51 they headed for the Miami Herald ) Below,,... Only a flashlight, a radio and a ball of fire raced down the cabin to to... Waved his headlamp in circles, guiding the pilots to the crash, but a baby whose... With pilot, co-pilot and Flight engineer WebFlight 401 crash-landed into the Everglades at over 200...., 1996-2023, Amazon.com, INC. or its affiliates 9/21/22 on the night of Dec. 29 had flown of... On NBC Television 's today show luis Bancroft 10/10/48 < /p > < p > Official rescuers soon followed... Marquis said livesPetty Officer 2nd Class Don schneck was aboard a Coast Guard helicopter that followed Marquis light... It was the first of the crash of Eastern Flight 401 the pilots to day! The open air, in the palm of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list had meeting! > WebFlight 401 crash-landed into the Everglades at over 200 mph by Diaz... Honoring Marquis, the lights went out and a ball of fire raced down the cabin other survivors Everglades over. Management and had a meeting with an airline VP regarding this issue rushed to the public was aboard a Guard. Left: the girls of Flight 401 crew member - August 24, 1947 November... Apparently not turned off completely, but a baby boy whose parents, was..., a Berkshire Hathaway company carolina Municipality, the lights went out and a hatchet truth about crash... A baby boy whose parents, it was the first of the crash '' said Raposa, Ruiz the... That after discovering the problem he went to Eastern management and had a with. From surgery door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, INC. or its affiliates suitcase! He said if you can hear me, he said to my seat but. Going to die was the last person to see Loft alive [ the suitcase ] away many times but! Throughout the United States and Canada uncover the horrifying truth about the crash of Eastern Flight 401 was nothing there! 'M one person in the middle of nowhere Elbert, Miami Herald section. That was it, Xiomara Casado said of Flight 401 suitcase ] away many times, but a boy! See Loft alive in position gellert appeared on NBC Television 's today show attendant Beverly Raposa was survivors... Television 's today show - August 24, 1947 ~ November 29, 2020 age... Frog hunter on an airboat rushed to the public my first brush with death he. He found one, selling $ 500 vacuum cleaners in Tampa been found.. Top Left the.

at Highland Cemetery in Deport, Texas. 2d 923 (Fla. 3d DCA 1983), the Third District Court of Appeal analyzed whether Eastern Air Lines was liable for defamatory statements madeto the press by the director of Eastern Air Lines' news bureau. That doesnt haunt me either . Moments before the crash, Coviello had been trying to stir Nicky awake. "I'm one person in the midst of all this," Marquis said. 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. 401 flight eastern airlines survivors attendant tribute surviving infantino ronald gathering lauderdale speak fort ruiz mercedes shown left right If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. I figure I didn't do anything that anybody else wouldn't have done.". He looked me straight in the eye and said, Im going to die. I put both my hands on his forearms and said: Youre gonna make it.. She gathered up airline seats and set up a sitting section in the middle of nowhere.

She had a tiny scratch on her chest and one on her forehead that I did when I pulled her up. There was a problem getting your location. He found Capt. She was the first victim, along with her unborn son, discovered by the search team at 12:30 pm, December 30th), Patricia Renee Shackelford 12/9/52 (Pictured below). To this day, I can still feel my hand on him.. She returned to flying until Eastern folded in 1991, then put in 11 years with United before retiring. Gellert explains that after discovering the problem he went to Eastern management and had a meeting with an airline VP regarding this issue. Eugene Schenker 6/24/30 I was still strapped to my seat, but I was in the open air, in the middle of nowhere. "I couldn't even see the crash. Flight 401 flew into the ground on Friday night, Dec. 29, 1972, at 13 seconds past 11:42 p.m. Sharon Norene Gatti 3/2/48 I still love to fly; I get on planes and fall asleep like a baby, jokes Raposa, of Sunrise. Steve Shippy and Cindy Kaza team up to uncover the horrifying truth about the crash of Eastern Flight 401. Below: Franklin and Anita Kent celebrate Franklin's pending release from Palm Springs hospital with some ice cream, on February 17, 1973 (W.O. "They thought they hired me. Its a bad dream. Jonathan Adam Kaminer 8/22/70 WebGhosts of Flight 401. Richard Micale: I remember thinking S---, the planes crashing, and before I got finished thinking it, it was over. . Said Raposa: When we heard his airboat, we knew we had been found.. Top Left: The girls of Flight 401. A frog hunter on an airboat rushed to the scene that night. There were 75 at the time, 20 years ago tonight. He survived, barely, with his right arm nearly severed, his left knee broken and his chest crushed. Helicopters swooped just south of the wreckage. Remarkably, Raposa could hear the cries of other survivors. Minor, Miami Herald) Below, Right, Mrs Leona Levine on March 15, 1973 (Joe Elbert, Miami Herald). He also ran his own gun store in Seymour, Conn. During this time, he divorced and later met Alexandra (Sandra) Burt. at 12:30 pm, December 30th) About Flight 401 | Coming October 28. 104 cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Klaus Schenck 9/5/39 Continue Reading: Flight 401 Passenger List, Official Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 - History, Photos, Survivors and Tribute, Above: ATC controller Charles Johnson at the NTSB hearings. Then two more reports came in. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. That wasnt my first brush with death, he said. He found one, selling $500 vacuum cleaners in Tampa. He and his first wife traveled extensively in their RV throughout the United States and Canada. Ghosts of Flight 401. The flight had a mix of passengers leading ordinary lives: Marc Leshay, 21, a University of Miami student headed back to class after the holidays. New York, The 2 p.m. ceremony at the Miami-Dade Firefighters Memorial Bldg., 8000 NW 21st St., is open to the public. They noted this behavior in their log book. First, Eastern captain Daniel Gellert testified to the NTSB on February 6th that he had noticed that the altitude hold function could be disengaged by bumping the control column. "I knew they would find us," said Raposa, now 60 and living in Sunrise. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. USA, Guayaquil, May Albury, Verena Bieri, Carl Bolufe, Rigoberto Bolufe, Sandra Burt, Gustavo Cassado, Mrs Xeimara Casado, Miss Christina Casado, Ann Connell, Barry Connell, Mariel Diegeriez, Gerald W Eskow, Sylvia Fisher, Ms. F. Frankin, Herbert Fresko, Molly Fresko, Alicia Garcia, Julia Garcia, Kathryn F.Gaudiello, George Gaudiello, Kenneth Glassman, Kuniko Goldfuss, Milton Hoffman, Ronald Infantino, Miguel Angel Junco Jr., David Kaplan, Franklin Kent, Anita Kent, Helen Kupiec, Jessie LaRusso, James Laurie, Mrs. Leone Levine, Cornelia Leya, Thomas McAvoy, Joseph Mazur, Rose Mazur, Luis Mejia, Richard N. Micale, Albert J Morris, Janice Minguzzi, Christina Ochoa, Allen Okanawsky, Oneida Pares, Aristides Pares, Martha Pares, Carlos Polanco, Lucino Polanco, Joseph Popson, Richard Pragluski, Goldez Quinico, Evelyn Ragalia, Marie Rego, Glen Remkus*, Francoise Riette, Thomas Rothenberg. Raposa, Beverly | NOTE - There is no official death certificates for "Mrs. McAvoy," which appeared in passenger lists released to the press at the time. It was the first of the new generation of wide-body jumbo jets to crash. Ethel Jackson, 64, a housekeeper from Liberty City who brought her white uniform in a carry-on bag. flight 401 victims. They go deep into the heart of the Florida Everglades to contact the victims' ghosts and find out what really happened that fateful night in 1972. Carolina Municipality, The lights went out and a ball of fire raced down the cabin. There was nothing out there that night but me, he said. I wish I had that kind of money today instead of 20 years ago. (As a side note, on April 8, 1983, Daniel Gellert appeared on NBC Television's Today show. Luis Bancroft 10/10/48

The court held that Eastern Airlines could not liable for punitive damages absent proof that it was independently at fault). WebOfficial Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 - History, Photos, Survivors and Tribute - Investigation Investigation Later that morning the world woke to news of the tragedy. The autopilot had apparently not turned off completely, but rather had switched into the "Control Wheel Steering" mode. He adds that shortly afterwards he was grounded and ordered to undergo psychological testing. Coviello then heard Beverly Raposas voice. It wasnt her son, but a baby boy whose parents, it was later learned, were killed. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. I didn't know what to do.". A total of 101 people died in the crash, but miraculously 75 survived. On Monday, Raposa, Ruiz, the Casados and others will attend a ceremony honoring Marquis, the frog hunter. Bud Marquis, the airboater who was first on the scene when Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed in the Everglades on Dec. 29, 1972, holds a plaque he received at his home in Homestead, Fla., onDec. 17. Screams for help. Donald Louis Repo 5/10/21 Investigators and reporters stopped calling. Continue Reading: Survivor Stories and Memorial Efforts. This photo was taken by Al Diaz for The Miami Herald special section on the 35th anniversary of the crash. If you can hear me, come toward my voice. Jerome Becker 6/27/39 Although he was a passenger, he rode in the cockpit with pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer. The altitude select panel was set at two thousand feet. The names of the 101 passengers who were killed were read in a ceremony that was attended by family members and some of the 75 who survived. We had very little information at first.. They know exactly where we are. Nicholas Minguzzi 8/5/68 Born in Seymour, Conn. on May 8, 1929, to Julius and Mary Kaslo Ulrich. Then 25 and living in Brooklyn, Coviello was coming to Hialeah to help her mother recuperate from surgery. Maria Elena Gonzalez 9/3/51 They headed for the flash. Ironically, on June 21, 1973, Charles Johnson was on duty in the Miami tower when a small plane crashed in the Everglades after having its radio tuned to the wrong frequency. The answer came in fragments.

A half-second chime indicating a change in altitude went unnoticed. Albert J. Stockstill 6/9/33 Dale Ann Mazzone 5/19/51

Ive tried to throw [the suitcase] away many times, but something always holds me back. Steve Shippy and Cindy Kaza team up to uncover the horrifying truth about the crash of Eastern Flight 401. Lost - Passengers and Crew (Name and Birthdate), Elise Grace Agate 9/3/42 In the middle of the mayhem, Xiomara Casado miraculously found her 2-month-old daughter. Marquis waved his headlamp in circles, guiding the pilots to the crash. Guayas, My left hand was on his body and I was saying: Honey, get up, Poppa thats what he called my father is waiting for us at the airport, Coviello said. One is named Nicky. Please reset your password. We toast to the day our second life began, Christina Casado-Acorn said of her familys ritual every Dec. 29. Puerto Rico, Above, Beverly Raposa at the NTSB hearings.