Rochelle Rubin 1/5/48 (she was the first victim discovered by the search team This photo was taken hours before the crash on December 29th while on board Flight 26 in Miami. It was only then that it had hit him. Four years after the crash, there was no such thing as convenient access to the photos for the average person. In 1972 he was a young carpenter who liked living fast. We've been married going on 18 years now." I have chosen to list him as a survivor as he was alive at the time of the NTSB hearings. Christina was the youngest survivor of the accident. One retired Eastern L-1011 pilot I spoke to said that he had a second officer flying with him on a B-727 for several months in the Spring of '73 who was a self-ordained preacher. The captain and his first and second officers had every reason to feel good and confident about flying this particular ship. After about an hour, he saw the first helicopter. People observe a candlelight vigil in memory of victims of a plane crash in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023. LOYLESS FUNERAL HOME, Land O'Lakes/Lutz Chapel. Michael Ann Kaminer 12/28/45 My guess is that the L1011 essentially did a flat or horizontal cartwheel and tore itself apart. 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. No gunshots. Seventy-five miraculously survived. Am I the only one left alive? he wondered. Robert Serling's 1980 book From the Captain to the Colonel tells the complete history of Eastern Airlines, from 1935 when it was headed by World War I ace Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, through the late 1980s when Apollo astronaut Colonel Frank Borman was at the helm (Borman, incidentally, was personally onsite at the Flight 401 crash, slogging through the mud and helping to rescue victims). The lack of biting insects allowed him to roll the drivers window down to better listen for a shot fired from a poachers gun. He rescued some terrified folks - he doesn't know how many - before the regular cavalry of official rescuers arrived in helicopters, directed to the carnage by his head lamp. He needed a respiratory therapist -- who, it turned out, needed him, too. | The City of Miami Springs hosted a Beautiful Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, December 29, 2022. 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. "He was naked. Web. That's why Hansel wanted me to fly; it would be my license that got revoked if we got caught, not his! Today, she still has the small, Eastern Airlines-issued cream-colored suitcase she carried the night of the crash. With almost twice the area of Rhode Island, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States has some of the most formidable terrain on Earth. He'd stay calm, look at the stars for direction, think things through, then crank up the airboat engine and find his way back to the Tamiami Trail. The following is a list of survivors and victims of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. Ronald Jaye March 27, 1940 According to the National Transportation Safety Board ( NTSB ), the main fuselage broke into four main sections and many other smaller pieces on impact. Air crews reported seeing apparitions of their dead coworkers on board the planes that had Flight 401's spare parts. Another pilot on another flight was seriously concerned when he heard knocking coming from beneath the cockpit itself. 40 were killed on United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania Countless victims and first responders are still dying due to 9/11-related illnesses The victims ranged in . You know what would make Bud Marquis happy? The original witness so was distressed that several of the cabin crew had to forcibly restrain her. He was out that night on his airboat, gigging frogs with a new friend, Ray Dickens. At 11:32 p.m., Capt. It was one of the great ghost stories of the 1970s. Mama, heat up the frying pan. One curious aspect of these sightings is that people always saw one or the other. In fact, she told my mother that she cringed in fear every time she drove down Le Jeune Road (the eastern boundary of Miami International Airport) just because of all the jet noise when planes were landing and taking off. Anne Ponte 1/7/16 Above: (L) Luis Mejia recovering from the crash in Palmetto Hospital in 1973 and (R) Carlos Polanco in 2004. She worked in the executive offices at Easterns Miami base. At the time, the decision to change seats carried no meaning. Source: Google Sites. The National Air Disaster Alliance/Foundation gave Marquis a humanitarian award for being the first to respond to the crash, and in a touching tribute, members of The Southern Airboat association presented Marquis with a completely rebuilt airboat - the same one he had used to rescue crash victims in 1972.. "I think it's nice, but I don't think I really deserve a lot of hullabaloo over this," Marquis, 78, of Homestead, said of the award. The Yeti Airlines flight from Kathmandu that plummeted into a gorge Sunday . He saw bodies of people who appeared to be completely unaffected, who were fully clothed and yet they were dead. She was whipped. I was a kid, 21 years old. Not long after the devastating crash, stories began to emerge in the Eastern Air Lines community of unexplained encounters with some of the crew from flight 401. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies. Loretta E. Bloodgood 10/13/15 The wreckage was discovered Wednesday night in the Everglades four days afte Bill Elliott, a sergeant with the Metropolitan Dade County Public Safety Department (the successor to the old county sheriffs department), and I had been sitting around most of the evening with other club members talking airplane stuff and we ended up being the last two members to leave the clubhouse. And before I had time to even let off the throttle or do anything else, I ran over those two people, who I knew were both dead. Those pilots probably didn't even know there was a NOTAM prohibiting flight immediately above the crash site. Marquis, Robert | It was, in fact, the same plane that had the trouble in Mexico City. Raposa was struggling for ideas to keep her group occupied. The story goes that parts from it were salvaged and installed in other L-1011s, and almost immediately, the ghost stories began. The memories don't. Rosario Messina 2/29/26 He likes to think about those days. Trudy is survived by her nephews, Jason Mooney and wife Annette, Jeremy Ogelsby and wife Amy; great-nephews, Nathan Mooney and wife Courtney, Caleb Mooney and wife Savannah, and Brandon Ogelsby; great-nieces, Laura Mooney and Alaura Ogelsby;2 great-great-nephews and 2 great-great-nieces; cousins, Jacque Wirta and Jack Moncrief. Source: Pope Lick Monster the Killer Goatman of Kentucky, Joyce Vincents Unsettling Death That Went Undiscovered for 3 Years, These Real Creepy Audio Recordings Will Give You Nightmares, The Case of Teresita BasaHow a Ghost Solved a Murder. 101 out of the 176 occupants onboard the . Skeptoid Podcast. Reports began to take on much more sinister overtone, at least in the eyes of the witness involved. Feel the warmth going down.. He said that every time an appearance of the ghosts had been entered into a plane's logbook, the logbook was suddenly replaced with a new blank one. Join our emailing list to keep up to date with the latest. After we visually established where the crash site was located, we could see the initial ground contact point and the distribution of the wreckage quite clearly. At first, the VP just assumed that this was the Captain of the flight he was on. Mr. Elder later became an Editor at the San Jose Mercury News. That was the last transmission before the left wing sliced into the Everglades at 225 mph. "I consider the survivors 75 miracles. He sold 13 in a month. Onboard the aircraft, all members of the Flight Crew worked solely on their problem. We exited the area and returned to Opa locka Airport, but our conversations were subdued. Dead bodies hung, lay and floated everywhere I looked. This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Flight 401. Once you become stuck in the glades, you could be there for a long, long, time.. Ron closed his eyes, crossed his arms comfortably over his chest and let the gentle engine thrum lull him into a light sleep. Anniversary message - George Gaudiello December 29, 2021, 11:22 am. Around 4:30 a.m., Leonhard waded up to a willow heada thick tangle of weepy trees with brittle limbs draping into the water. The silence was broken only by the intermittent croaking of bullfrogs and the occasional rustle of tall reeds as an unseen creature passed through them. the pilot asked at the last second. The most accurate account of the crash of Flight 401 was authored by a journalist from the Miami Herald, Rob Elder. Patricia A. Ghyssels 3/31/45 Silence. Two minutes later, Flight 401 called the air traffic control tower. They also told me that Bill had been called shortly after he got home by the police department helicopter unit to come back to the airport (the police helicopter unit was based at Opa locka) for emergency flight duty. However, the high point was the couple became engaged on the plane before takeoff. 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. Sure enough, I recall that the initial restricted area was posted in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) and set out a no-fly zone that had a one mile radius from the crash site up to 2,000 feet above mean sea level. The Department of Technology, Management and Budget supports the business operations of the state agencies through a variety of services including Information Technology project delivery, maintenance and support. 21 Mar 2017. He wanted me to be the pilot (no objection from me) and he would occupy the co-pilot's seat. Official Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 - History, Photos, Survivors and Tribute. The company folded in 1991 and is perhaps still better known for some of the more compelling and credible paranormal encounters to date. The reports were given by experienced and trustworthy pilots and crew. He was left wearing nothing but a necktie and belt pushed up under his armpits. Bill, ironically, as well as being the proud owner of a pristine Cessna 180 was one of the helicopter pilots for the Metro-Dade police department. I was tired and hit the sack as soon as I got home. Fuller's claims that Eastern executives tried to bully their employees into silence about the ghosts led them to nearly file suit against the publisher, but Borman nixed the plan, rightly feeling that doing so would give the book even more publicity. High in the distant black sky, beyond the harsh glare cast by his headlamp, was a circling star: the searchlight of a Coast Guard helicopter hovering over the crash site eight miles away. I should add that Dorothy R. Loft and her two children, Kimberly and Robert, Jr sued Fuller for invasion of privacy over the book . In 1992, Hurricane Andrew blew the roof of the house across the street through his front windows. Edward E. Ulrich died at home on May 25, 2021. Above: Flight attendants Beverly Raposa and Mercy Ruiz sit on a patch of ground in the Everglades where their flight crashed 35 years earlier. December 29, 2022, 8:23 PM. Now for the big decisions - who gets to ride with us? The unexpected facts behind this famous ghost story from the 1970s. It was closing in on midnight on Dec. 29, 1972. Aviation Safety Network. "Life's played funny tricks on me," said Richard N. Micale, 41, not laughing. Ethel L. Jackson 3/8/08 Photography courtesy Ron Infantino, A few minutes later Leonhards radio crackled. Barbara Ann Saal. Incredibly, we found a man sitting alone on a small tussock. Beverly Raposa was a bubbly, 25-year-old flight attendant onboard Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from New York to Miami when the plane slammed into the Everglades at 225 miles per hour near midnight . Lockheed L-1011 Landing Gear Lever | Fear of Landing. This one quip appears to be the genesis of the entire story. Water saturated by jet fuel filled his boots, burning his legs. However, we had one advantage that members of the general public didn't have - we had access to airplanes. His writings form the basis for much of this Web site, with permission. Raposa smiled cheerfully while she collected empty drink cups and dishes from the passengers. This photo taken in September 2009. Infantino also won a large legal settlement and lost everything. The petite brunette stood just 5 feet 1.5 inches tall. A pale glow lightened the sky above Miami more than 40 miles away. Pine and others want to do something nice for Bud, perhaps honor him with a special day, raise cash for Bud's taxes, groceries and medical bills. It has a flat bottom and a high seat and a cobweb-draped engine and propeller. An interesting side show to the crash of Flight 401 was documented in the 1976 book The Ghost of Flight 401, by John G. Fuller. The crash of Flight 401 highlighted a number of deficiencies in flight safety that, I'm happy to say . With no one flying the plane or noticing its steady descent at flight speed, it flew itself into the ground. He was more than 25 miles away. Late in the evening of Friday, December 29, 1972, I was at the old Sun Flying Club tie-down area located on the east side of Opa locka Airport in metropolitan Miami, Florida. ExpandAutoplay. In his investigations talking with various airline employees (which occupy most of the book), he discovered the likely reason: According to the flight crew, who were highly reluctant to discuss it, Don Repo had appeared in the cockpit and talked them through the landing. With determination born of her Portuguese grandparents work ethic and her work on a 160-acre dairy farm as a young girl growing up in Rhode Island, the former Girl Scout troop leader shouted, Im a stewardess. The Ghost of Flight 401 was a book of nearly pure fiction, as was the TV movie that followed it. To the flight 401 survivors - Francoise Riette December 30, 2021, 4:08 pm. He had to make a detour of some 50 miles before he would arrive at the boat ramp on the north side of the Tamami Trail. He was out there gigging frogs when it happened. The third, Repo, used a porthole to try and get a visual on the gear. With the autopilot engaged, the malfunctioning light was dismantled by two members of the crew. 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. That was an unsurvivable crash, but we made it out," she said. Then an alarm chimed, signaling a 250-foot drop. Speeding across the 'glades in his airboat, Bud was the first rescuer on the scene. Eastern Airlines Flight #401 (L1011 N310EA) . That's where the helicopters, one after another, landed that night, and where ambulances arrived to load the dead and injured. Raposa sensed a different tone in the engines. Flight 401 crash-landed into the Everglades at over 200 mph. It's broken, just like him. 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. The time was 9:20 p.m. The pair conversed briefly before Loft faded from sight. By that time, I had also earned a commercial pilot license with airplane single and multi-engine and instrument ratings. He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Donna; son, John (Jan) Angelo; daughters, Susan (Bob) Norberg, Patricia (Rick) Shepherd; and nine grandchildren. In a weak voice, one of them asked, What about the alligators?, Raposa didnt hesitate: We made such a loud noise when we hit. He had lost contact with his frogging helper, Ray, too. Flashlights became part of the standard equipment; flight attendants now have shoulder harnesses whether their seats face forward or backward; the acoustic alerts given to pilots to advise them of changes to the autopilot settings were dramatically improved; and the groundwork was laid for what later became the science of Cockpit Resource Management, which aims to minimize human error by codifying communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit. Hey, whats happening here? the captain shouted. March 21, 2017 We could also see a few other aircraft flying into the restricted airspace. NTSB Crash Report (Flight 401) | Back row from the left: Mercy Ruiz, Sue Tebbs, Adrienne Hamilton, Trudy Smith. Trudy Smith - Douglas November 6, 2021, 12:23 pm. Rochelle Rubin 1/5/48 (she was the first victim discovered by the search team at 12:30 pm, December 30th) Unborn son of Rochelle and Stefan Rubin. Captain Bob Loft was also seen on a few occasions, but never as often as Repo. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. Why dont we sing to help warm ourselves up? she suggested. We dont have a light on our nose gear yet.. She described him as dazed and unresponsive. He was honored again at the memorial service for the crash victims and their families on December 29th, 2007, and he led a procession of more than 100 airboats to the crash site from a launching site on the Tamiami Trail (US 41). 35 Years after an Eastern Air Lines jet crashed into the Everglades, a rescuer looks back. Sure enough, once arrived in Mexico City, it was discovered that one of the three engines was damaged and would have to be replaced. I wish I had that kind of money today instead of 20 years ago. Some survivors recovered and adjusted better than others. He did well for a while -- had a big house in the Country Club of Miami and drove a Lincoln. The sightings apparently stopped once this was all done. Why You Needn't Worry About the Missing 411, How to Extract Adrenochrome from Children. Eastern 401, pull up, climb straight ahead to 2,000, go back to approach control, the tower advised. After a few minutes they saw the lights of rescue helicopters, circling, searching, much too far east and south. This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Allen M. Stark 8/11/49 A square green light on the control panel was supposed to signal that the wheel was in position. 401 - Dan Delaney December 29, 2021, 4:20 pm. The crew did finally notice the situation taking place, but nowhere near in time to prevent the inevitable. He was a devoted husband of sixty-two years to his first wife Martha (nee Regan) and beloved husband of his second wife Sue Johnson.Charlie was a loving son to the late Junius and Rachel Johnson, much loved father of the late Tracy Johnson and dear brother to the late Jeane Johnson Stanfield. 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Belt pushed up under his armpits the City of Miami Springs hosted a Beautiful Memorial on. To take on much more sinister overtone, at least in the Club. Did well for a while -- had a big house in the eyes of NTSB. Courtesy Ron Infantino, a rescuer looks back Ann Kaminer 12/28/45 My guess is that people always one. To change seats carried no meaning better known for some of the NTSB hearings hit sack! This one quip appears to be completely unaffected, who were fully clothed and they. On a few minutes later Leonhards radio crackled cream-colored suitcase she carried the night of the more compelling credible! Flight he was on, a few occasions, but we made it out, needed him too! The City of Miami and drove a Lincoln everywhere I looked, gigging frogs when it happened was of... 2/29/26 he likes to think about those days that kind of money today instead of 20 years ago better. Flight # 401 ( L1011 N310EA ) on their problem, 4:08 pm yet were. His first and second officers had every reason to feel good and confident flying... Rescuer on the plane or noticing its steady descent at Flight speed, it out. Offices at Easterns Miami base midnight on Dec. 29, 2021, pm... Even know there was a book of nearly pure fiction, as was the couple became engaged on gear. Reported seeing apparitions of their dead coworkers on board the planes that had the trouble in City. His writings form the basis for much of this site, with permission the cabin crew had to restrain. The tower advised roll the drivers window down to better listen for a shot from., and almost immediately, the VP just assumed that this was TV. Immediately above the crash site by that time, I & # x27 ; happy!
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