Front row: Sue Tebbs, Dottie Warnock, Beverly Raposa, Stephanie Stanich. An altitude alert sounded its C-Chord chime for one second and stopped. In another part of the Everglades, flight attendant Mercy Ruiz shivered, her body soaked in kerosene. One member of the regular crew, stewardess Irene Pratt, arrived at the airport to discover that she had exceeded her quota of flying hours for the month. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, 50 Years On. ", Repo paused on his way down. "I don't know what the hell is holding that son of a bitch in," said Stockstill. She came back and said, Mercy, I cant. She couldnt see.. But Stockstill was flying the plane, so Repo would be the next to try and remove it. The flight would have normally passed east of Jacksonville, Florida, at a point 155 miles out to sea and passing a latitude along which lay, on the other side of the world, Cairo and Shanghai. The crash, another seminal moment in South Florida aviation history, killed all 110 people on board. ", Loft was loosing patience with the effort to remove the jammed light. The bay was accessible through a small square trap door on the floor of the cockpit. Their participation and support on dedication day was beyond our expectations!!! Category:Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository Media in category "Eastern Air Lines Flight 401" The following 8 files are in this category, out of 8 total. When Connell felt a blast of cold air and a wet, in-rushing wave of fuel, he knew the plane was breaking up. This Day in History: Eastern Airlines Flight 401. DALLAS December 29, 2022, will mark a half-century since the fatal crash of Eastern Air Lines (EA) Flight 401. Not shown, Sharon Transue (she was taking the photo). People were crying. But after speaking to her family in Miami and hearing the account of the planned New Year's Eve festivities, they decided to catch flight 401 to Miami. Anyone interested in attending should email flt401memorial@gmail.com. Infantino served in Vietnam, but it was this flight, not war that brought him closest to death. Johnathan Kaminer, a two year old child dressed in a red-and-blue outfit, was hurled three hundred feet north of the cockpit. It was a window seat on the right side, just forward of the wing. Ea401.png 1,620 1,220; 887 KB Eastern 401 wreckage.jpg 1,000 433; 155 KB Eastern Flight 401 wreckage 1.jpg 280 165; 28 KB The tragedy would never have occurred He did not see the flight engineer remove the old bulbs and insert new ones,. Flight 401 had crashed in the Everglades at 227 miles per hour, cartwheeling into the swampy water after the left wingtip hit the ground first. Rose Kashman, 57, of New York, sporting a mink coat. "The last thing I recall was the sound of the engines revving. ", Jerry Eskow, still nursing his double scotch in first class, awakened to "a lot of noise and a lot of vibrations." ", A passenger in seat 14E thought the jetliner was making a normal landing; then he realized that all of the airplane forward of his row was gone. Loft acknowledges the controller, and then began a series of practiced, terse, checklist exchanges with the rest of the flight crew: Repo: Engine crossbleeds are open. It was ironic that the flight had more than five dozen empty seats, for when they booked, they were told the only seats available were in first class. "When I arrived at the airport told me that there was no need for me that day," she said. As Donadeo left the flight deck, he noticed that Stockstill had his right hand on the yoke and was pushing or pulling the light assembly with his left. Check it." Fire trucks were standing by. Then came the final and fatal mistake. Below: Franklin and Anita Kent celebrate Franklin's pending release from Palm Springs hospital with some ice cream, on February 17, 1973 (W.O. From first impact to last movement the Whisperliner traveled more than one third of a mile. A fireball rushed through the cabin, from front to rear, touching the ceiling and extending as low as the tops of the seats.

Infantino and the flight attendants will meet with airline experts and the public to tell them never to become complacent. Amazingly, 75 of the 176 passengers and crew aboard Flight 401 survived. ", Solomon says he recalls unfastening his seatbelt and "walking out into the marsh. Raposa was one of 75 survivors. ""I'll talk to 'em," Loft said. He settled in for the journey, digging into his paperback of the Exorcist.

He and his first wife traveled extensively in their RV throughout the United States and Canada. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. ", "All right," said Stockstill, but his voice was almost covered by the much louder sound of an altitude alert horn. She had been sitting next to the center divider, with her husband, Ron, at the aisle. 300 people joined together on December 29th to dedicate the memorial!!! WebThe story of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Aircraft 310 was one of a dozen L-1011s Lockheed had delivered to Eastern Airlines that year, and it was one of the best of the bunch. The Lan-Chile pilot acknowledged. "Welcome to sunny Miami. He woke up in a puddle near an engine, missing some clothes but generally OK. "The next thing I remember was struggling to breathe. The flight was uneventful until the approach to Miami. He had been talking to the man next to him, an auto parts dealer from Hialeah. Loft rested his hands on the thrust levers with all the assurance of a man who had flown for twenty-nine thousand hours. Five years ago, Raposa revived the idea and got approval to place it on a plot of public land in Miami Springs. Marc Leshay, twenty one, a University of Miami student headed back to class after the holidays.

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The aircraft operating the route, a Lockheed L1011-385-1 Tristar crashed into the Florida Everglades, resulting in 101 fatalities. WebThe men on Flight 401's flight deck listened to their fellow pilot onboard the National plane as it dealt with its troubled gear. It was now 11:38. Was it a burned-out $12 bulb or a faulty landing gear? ", The controller responded, "Alright, ah, we got you headed westbound there now, Eastern 401.". She felt herself being shaken like a rag doll; "I could see my arms going in front of me from side to side and I felt my feet also going from side to side. Donadeo was no stranger to the L-1011, however. Had we had flashlights that night, Ruiz continued, every person that was ambulatory could have helped. Flashlights eventually came to flight attendant crew stations ten years after the crash. He was almost unmarked except for two small lacerations on his face. On the back of an envelope he wrote the following letter to Samuel L. Higginbottom, who was then the president and COO of Eastern Airlines. "To hell with this," he said, "to hell with this! Fatal Distraction: Directed by Su Rynard. "Dear Mr. Higginbottom: This is my first time on an L-1011, and I love the trip. It all happened so quickly that he couldnt turn to check on his wife of 20 days, Lilly Infantino, who sat beside him on the flight from New York to Miami. The poodle under her seat lived. 35 years after jetliner crash, hero gets his due, Aircraft Accident Report: Eastern Air Lines, Inc. L-1011, N310EA, Miami, Florida, December 29, 1972, Flight 401 1972 Jumbo-Jet Crash was Worst Aviation Disaster in State History. WebCrash (also known as The Crash of Flight 401) is a 1978 made-for-TV drama film directed by Barry Shear and based on the true story of the first crash of a wide-body aircraft, that of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar which crashed in the Florida Everglades near Miami on the night of December 29, 1972. As captain, his was the final authority as to whether to proceed or abort the takeoff. And I'm alive. Were gonna wake up.. water and oil were everywhere." "I always knew retailing was what I wanted. Top Left: The girls of Flight 401. On this day in 1972, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashes in the Everglades. Featured Image: Eastern Airlines Lockheed L1011 N310EA, the airframe involved in flight 401. The plane was crossing over the Everglades on Dec. 29, 1972, when she turned to fellow flight attendant Stephanie Stanich. To see the happiness (and tears) on their faces as they saw their loved one's name on the memorial monument brought joy to our hearts! WebEastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from New York JFK to Miami. The development process of the monument represented 50 years of collaboration and remembrance following the crash of Flight 401. "Miami tower, Eastern 401, just turned on final." The new L-1011s were constantly being taken out of service for maintenance during that winter, Eastern's busiest season. And I said, 'Mom, if it will make you happy, I'll wear it.'. But a light didnt confirm whether the landing gear was down. "Okay, going up to two thousand," Loft said into the radio as the jet began to climb. So much tragedy in one eveningbut dont you think it also highlights the resilience, bravery, and compassion that defines the American spirit? Tell people you love them. First published on December 29, 2022 / 10:12 AM. For, what to me seemed as an eternity and finally a miracle. A man couldn't find his wife.". "Eastern 401 'll go ah, out west just a little further if we can here and, ah, see if we can get this light to come on here. Bob Loft, the captain, operated the radio. The engineer and second officer for flight 401 was Donald Louis Repo, a man who had gone to sleep early the night before because he was trying to shake a cold. "I thought you'd like to see this," he said reaching into his pocket and producing a diamond ring. Ethel Jackson, 64, a housekeeper from Liberty City, brought her white uniform in a carry-on bag. Shortly after, the plane crashed into the swamp. ", Loft came back with a question. PROMISE KEPT..MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!! It was pitch dark, he said. And so with the dedication of the Eastern Air Lines 401 memorial monument in its permanent home in Miami Springs OUR MISSION IS COMPLETE! Edward moved to Scarborough, Maine to expand Winchesters presence in Northern New England and the Maritime provinces. Inside the plastic cube were two small light bulbs, called peanut bulbs. Loft asked. The monument, Ruiz said, represents the thoughts, the prayers, and all the efforts involved in refusing to forget each and every one of the victims. The names of each person who perished on Flight 401 will be engraved on the granite monument. She went on to praise the efforts of Raposa, who sang Christmas carols to maintain morale among survivors as they waited for rescue. Immediately behind that plane was Lan-Chile Flight 451, and backed up and waiting to land was National Airlines Flight 437. WebThe story of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Aircraft 310 was one of a dozen L-1011s Lockheed had delivered to Eastern Airlines that year, and it was one of the best of the bunch. Nonetheless, at one point, efforts appeared to come to a standstill until the beginning of 2022, when Raposa, in a conference call, emphasized a desire for action ahead of the 50th anniversary. ", "I know," Repo said. Stockstill: "We're still at two thousand, right?". "Twenty-two degrees, gear up," Stockstill said, reaching for the landing gear handle. Please enter valid email address to continue. With the emergency equipment rolling onto the field near runway Nine Right in anticipation of National 607, Eastern 401 was assigned the other parallel runway, Nine Left. Repo turned on the fuel pump. WebEastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from New York JFK to Miami.Shortly before midnight on December 29, 1972, the Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar crashed into the Florida Everglades, causing 101 total fatalities. The cockpit radio speakers were turned on, so even without headphones it was possible to listen to the conversations between Loft and the air controllers as well as conversations between the different planes in the sky. 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. A computer-stored flight plan would bring the great white Whisperliner inland over West Palm Beach, and then south to Miami - a long, dense galaxy of lights glittering on a north-south axis between two black voids, the Atlantic ocean and the Everglades. He was so weak that doctors opted to operate without anesthesia. In late 1972 the two were passengers in a plane crash that left both with debilitating painful injuries. "Could you jiggle the light?". Lorenzo Zetlin, a New York interior designer, was in seat 15H. From the radio speaker the local controller said, "Eastern 401 heavy, Roger, pull up, climb straight ahead to two thousand and go back to approach control, 128.6.". He held out hope that his wife had survived another patient with their last name was admitted to a hospital in Florida. The flight was uneventful until the approach to Miami. I was just turning, twisting, everything happening at once. Immediately after takeoff, Warren Terry, the deadheading pilot who occupied one of the jump seats in the cockpit, moved to an empty seat in first class. "Put the son of a bitch on autopilot here," Loft said. And I realized: If I'm not dreaming, the plane has crashed. But the rest of me was going along with this jolting." 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. Training and standard operating procedures changed as a result of this, and other crashes, to make problem-solving in a cockpit much more efficient, causing less distraction for the crew. WebEastern Air Lines Flight 401, operated by a four-month-old Lockheed L-1011, registration N310EA, carrying 163 passengers and 13 crewmembers, departed New York-JFK at 21.20h EST for a flight to Miami. He also ran his own gun store in Seymour, Conn. During this time, he divorced and later met Alexandra (Sandra) Burt. WebEastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from New York JFK to Miami. Theres another photo Ruiz has analyzed over the years. Stockstill thought that the light assembly might not be properly seated in the fixture. Amid the planes wreckage, her cream-colored, company-issued suitcase was the only one that remained intact. "The tests didn't show that the lights worked anyway," Stockstill offered, referring to Repo's test a few moments earlier. Infantino looks back on the crash when hes frustrated about the inconveniences he faces in his daily life. The man from Hialeah "seemed to be on the ceiling. He called the airline from his hospital room and explained that he had survived the recent crash and was still recovering. It was pitch black. All Rights Reserved , Court Rejects Plan to Reduce Flight Movements at Schiphol, Sun Country Airlines to Purchase Five Boeing 737-900ERs, First Parts of Airbus A350F Begin Construction, 4/05/2012: Volotea Begins to Fly Around, 12/11/1996: Oasis International Airlines Ceases Operations, Asia Pacific Airlines to Retrain Crew After FAA, LATAM Cargo Adds New Twice-weekly Route to the. Her eighteen month old infant, Christina, lived. "It's a faulty light," said Stockstill. "We can tell if that son of a bitch is down by looking at the indices," he said. They were hospitalized for two months. The plane began a slow, unnoticed descent. All I wanted was a chain, and she said 'I bought this star. After selecting gear down, the nosegear light didn't indicate 'down and locked'. I heard screaming. Despite the enormous quantities and that there was a error counting the passengers, the manifest was meticulously detailed. At the start of 2022, Raposa remembered her promise to honor those who lost their lives on the flight. ", At 11:34 p.m. Loft spoke into the radio. With Jonathan Aris, Shawn Lawrence, Shaun Smyth, David Sparrow. In the days following the crash, Infantinos mother brought him a pile of mail. The undertaking of getting the memorial monument done in 11 months was very time consuming but my sister told me to do it as she knew about my promise and how important it was to me! I dont know if I was in a mothers instinct, but I made my way right to her, she later said. You gotta turn it one quarter to the left. Raposa said she has flown for over 20 years for business, saying she sleeps like a baby every time she flies. In the extreme rear of the aircraft, sitting in the coach lounge, Beverly Raposa felt the plane bank to the left. And then he told Stockstill, "Clear on Left.". She tried to see what was happening. For almost the entire trip, a DC-10 could be seen ahead of the L-1011. At the time, it seemed a decision of no consequence. ", Some survivors were surprisingly uninjured. In November 2022,Airwaysinterviewed former flight attendants Beverly Raposa and Mercy Ruiz to understand their perspectives as survivors of the crash. In 2021, a memorial marker was installed in the Everglades to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the May 11, 1996, ValuJet crash. She was twenty seven years old. As frog hunters who witnessed the crash helped rescue survivors, Raposa led those remaining in renditions of Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. The last group was rescued at 3:30 a.m. Dec. 30, almost four hours after the crash. Nearby, another survivor was having a similar experience. Shortly before midnight on December 29, 1972, the Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar crashed into the Florida Everglades, causing 101 total fatalities. I thought I was in a dream. Gear down. At JFK they changed airplanes to work flight 401. The jumbo jet had been making a late evening flight from New York to Miami. While the plane was on the ground at JFK, the tail skid accumulator was serviced and the oxygen bottle replaced. Amazingly, 75 of the 176 passengers and crew aboard Flight 401 survived. "I could see things flying all about methere was a rush of windit sounded like we were in the middle of a tornado. Lilly and Ron had just married on December 9th, and after a brief honeymoon in Disney World, they had flown to New York to spend Christmas with Ron's parents. Captain Bob Loft and First Officer Bert Stockstill returned to an altitude of 2,000 feet, then put the plane on autopilot while they investigated. Unlike Flight 401's faulty light, National 607's problem was seen as a real emergency. Eastern's uniforms in the winter of 1972 were dark brown, beige and powder blue; flight attendants had the option of wearing skirts, slacks or shorts with boots that zipped nearly to the knee. Organizers are still seeking donations to cover the cost of the memorial, a bill that stands at about $20,000. After Four Tough Years, Can Boeing Break Through the Clouds? He was offered the job. For Ruiz, the memorial will be a light in the darkness, a place to pray, reflect and remember the souls lost in the tragedy. If were a little late, its overtime.. At 11:32 p.m., the north approach controller gave Flight 401 instructions to change radio frequencies and initiate contact with the local controller.

While the fleet was being built by the Lockheed-California Company, Rolls Royce, the manufacturer of the engines, faltered under the weight of the development costs and went bankrupt. Edward was also sent to Florida to build Trap and Skeet gun clubs in some southern states, he always maintained that the clubs were 20 years ahead of their time. A native of Louisiana who now lived in Miami, Stockstill had even more flying time in the new L-1011 than Loft. Boeing Secures Order for Five 787 Jets from Taiwan's EVA Air, Wencor Announces an Exclusive, Multi-Year Defense Partnership with Regal Rexnord Aerospace, Airbus Provides Update on Discussions with Atos, Fleet Additions Down to 4-Yr Low in 22; Airfares To Remain Firm. ", Loft told him, "You can't see the indices - for the nose wheel, ah, there's a place in there you can look and see if they're lined up. She explained that she would be happy to help any passengers with re-ticketing for return trips. The ride is smooth, the service is excellent, the plane is beautiful, the pilots are terrific and I want to particularly compliment your stewardess Jennifer Larsen." Quietly, during the flight, Edward Ulrich proposed to Sandra Burt; she accepted. Warren Terry, a co-pilot, and Angelo Donadeo, a maintenance specialist. Edward E. Ulrich died at home on May 25, 2021. Rescue efforts went on for hours, but 75 survivors had been pulled from the wreckage by morning. Raposa, 25, had noticed something strange. McQuigg and Raposa went on to continue flying, with McQuigg still working in the profession. One minute, he was resting in his seat with his arms folded. The coat closet disappeared. Jerrold Solomon, twenty four, was a nervous smoker who still managed to make his pack of Tareytons last two days. He had spent the morning working in his yard, which adjoined a golf course in Plantation, Florida. WebThe story of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Aircraft 310 was one of a dozen L-1011s Lockheed had delivered to Eastern Airlines that year, and it was one of the best of the bunch. Contact: brent@airwaysmag.com, 2023 Airways Publishing, LLC. She worked to keep survivors around her calm by leading several rounds of Christmas carols. She was wet. Both lived. It is now known that "Mrs. McAvoy" was Donna Smith, Thomas McAvoy's traveling companion. It is clear that the crew viewed the malfunction not so much as an emergency as an annoyance. The location was west-northwest of Miami, 18.7 miles from the end of runway Nine Left. Lockheed had delivered it on August 18th, and Eastern put it into service on August 21st. The plane descended out of the sky as pilots were distracted over a landing gear warning light. The plane was traveling at more than 200 mph when one wing hit the ground. At the airport, the approach controller looked at the altitude block listed next to the little blip representing Eastern 401 on his radar screen. The group wanted to balance their pose, so they stood in two lines of four with one of the flight attendants stretching out over the top of a closet. She managed a Manhattan art gallery. You want me to fly it, Bob?

", Inserted sideways, the fixture had jammed. Eastern Flight 401 Introduced New Safety Measures And Books, Movies and Ghost Stories. He would continue to operate the radio and Stockstill would fly the plane. I number things from 1 to 10, and 10 [is] a plane crash, he said. WebEastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from New York JFK to Miami. Ea401.png 1,620 1,220; 887 KB Eastern 401 wreckage.jpg 1,000 433; 155 KB Eastern Flight 401 wreckage 1.jpg 280 165; 28 KB I couldn't breathe. Carmen Jorge was killed. Three of the 4 cockpit crew members, two of the 10 flight attendants, and 96 of the 163 passengers were killed; there were 75 survivors. Raposa, who worked in a travel agency after leaving Eastern, reminds herself to not leave the house angry and to tell her loved ones how much she cares for them because returning is never a guarantee. Loft had loosened or unfastened his lap belt and was reaching across the center control pedestal, attempting to help. After selecting gear down, the nosegear light didn't indicate 'down and locked'. The left wingtip hit first, then the left engine and the left landing gear. With Jonathan Aris, Shawn Lawrence, Shaun Smyth, David Sparrow. The Lockheed L-1011 was the pride of the Eastern fleet and the first of a new generation of wide-body jumbo jets to crash. The aircraft broke apart as it cartwheeled across the wetlands. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was one of South Floridas deadliest airline disasters. The pair also described takeaways for the public around aviation safety to go along with memorial efforts for Flight 401. Loft acknowledged the new heading: turn left and maintain two thousand feet. "I can't make it pull out either, " he said. 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. He wasnt rescued until four or five hours later, he remembers reading in his hospital records. And now, just shortly before 9 p.m., the first officer, Albert John Stockstill, slid into the co-pilot seat on the right side of the flight deck. From behind Loft and Stockstill, Repo offered, "Do you want me to check the lights or not?" His goal in life, he would say later, was "to be successful financially and live a nice, easy, comfortable life." Similarly, after helping free a fellow passenger from the wreckage, Thomas Rothenberg, a warehouse supervisor in New York City, stood around with three other survivors and, he said later, "talked about what we did for a living." I will tell you that we will gather every December 29th at the memorial monument to honor our fellow crew members and passengers. Among the passengers, the very size of the L-1011 imposed anonymity. He turned to Repo and said "Hey, get down there and see if that goddamn nose wheel's down." It was really scary. After returning to Connecticut, he then worked for a number of years at Seymour Copper Mill in sales and marketing. Midway along the path, the plane slewed around until it was sliding backward. She asked fellow flight attendant Patricia Ghyssels, who sat across from her, what was going on. WebEastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Miami International Airport. even though there were spare bulbs on board. When she finished her announcement, Jerry Eskow called her over. He was forty-four, fair haired and balding, a big man who used to play college football. December 29, 2022 - 50 years to the day of the crash of 401. After many years, the EAL flight 401 is now a reality thanks to the relentless efforts of flight attendants and survivors Beverly, Mercy, Patty, Ron and so many friends. He was a buyer for Gimbels. "All right, leave it there," said the captain.