Marquis would work tirelessly throughout the night and the next day rescuing people. The plane then veered to the left and was thrown into darkness. Beverly replied, 'No Mercy, we're down.' National Transportation Safety Board report, Broward Motorcycle Deputy Hospitalized After Reported Hit-and-Run, Russian Founder of Cryptocurrency Firm Arrested in Miami, Jury Sides With Flo Rida, Awards $82 Million in Lawsuit Against Celsius, Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Road in Western Broward, Man in Custody After Allegedly Killing Co-Worker at Hollywood Business: Police, Netflix Is Hiring a Flight Attendant for One of Its Private Jets and the Job Pays Up to $385,000. Oh, Mercy, stop complaining, Ghyssels responded. 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. Then he noticed that the pilot did a fly-by the airport. Raposa emphasized that she feels safer up there. Raposa concluded that 50 years beyond the crash, survivors and supporters still carry the victims of Flight 401 in their hearts. Eastern Air Lines flight 401 encountered no problems while cruising between the two cities. He couldn't move. READ MORE: Were down. Flight 401 crashed in Miami 50 years ago. She said her mom had moved to Connecticut and was coming home to surprise her family before New Years. Beverly remembers when the flight went down. During the five hours, a female passenger came up to him and began to walk away. All of the bodies were recovered, 99 perished that night, two more would die from their injuries. An Eastern Airlines jet heading from New York to Miami crashed in the Everglades 50 years ago. Based in Norwich, UK. The harrowing tale of three survivors of the 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines flight 401 into the Everglades. Truth or scare? The Memorial is located just South and West of the new Miami Springs sign that was erected on the Curtiss Parkway median. Flight 401, a new L-1011 TriStar, took off from Kennedy International Airport in New York at 9:20 p.m. on Dec. 29, 1972. asked Loft. Infantino and the flight attendants will meet with airline experts and the public to tell them never to become complacent. Amid the planes wreckage, her cream-colored, company-issued suitcase was the only one that remained intact. This commemorative event in the Everglades represented one of many, which also included smaller meetings among survivors and supporters. People were screaming, and partially clothed dead bodies were face down in the water. The granite monument, installed just north of the Miami International Airport, now serves as a permanent tribute to those who died when the Miami-bound Eastern Air Lines flight 401 crashed in the . I number things from 1 to 10, and 10 [is] a plane crash, he said. As you might expect, she later picked from some photos that Don was the engineer she had seen. One hundred and one lives were lost that late December evening, with 75 passengers and crew . They were exhausted. From there a series of seemingly small mistakes and oversights led to the epic crash. 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). It is open to the public. He says he thinks about the crash every day and it has defined the way he looks at life. On December 29, 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 crashes into the Florida Everglades, resulting in 101 fatalities. "We don't have a home of our own to call our own, 401 doesn't," he said. He was offered the job. The couple had two sons. We get so tied up in the mundane things in life, the small stuff, we waste all our energies on that instead of concentrating on the major things. Washington, DC 20006, Online Donations can be made at www.PlaneSafe.org. Contact: brent@airwaysmag.com, 2022 Airways Publishing, LLC. Unfortunately, 101 passengers and crew perished in the accident. Eastern Airlines eventually ceased operations early in 1991. READ MORE: There was another tragedy in Miami after Eastern Flight 401. That time, finances got in the way. The idea for a memorial for Eastern Flight 401 first popped up at the 35th anniversary gathering in the Everglades. The U.S. Coast Guard had been quickly notified by the tower at MIA and had helicopters airborne almost immediately from their station in Opa-locka. "They were screaming, next thing I knew it, the overhead luggage was flying all over the place and the lights were going on and off like crazy. There were 75 survivors. Shelley and Steve Rubin and their unborn baby boy - Sandy Shapiro December 30, 2020 . "I love my profession so I overcame that part of my life. Dawn Quinn, 59, the granddaughter of flight 401 Captain Robert A. Loft, said she was 9 years old when she heard that her grandfathers plane had crashed. The 75-year-old woman, who was 25 at the time, was given a standing ovation for spearheading the efforts to build the memorial, located on the grassy median of the Curtiss Parkway and across from the Miami Springs Golf and Country Club. We also informed you that much of the money was going into creating more buildings. I try to do that but I'm human so it doesn't always work out.". Fourteen people suffered burns, while 17 had only minor injuries and didn't need to be hospitalized, the NTSB report said. The Memorial is along the Curtiss Parkway median directly across from the driving range. If were a little late, its overtime.. The death toll was, in 1972, the highest of any one-plane accident. Sharon Shackleford said it has been painful to go on without her sister but that the memorial brings her peace. Fortunately, there were 75 survivors during that horrible tragedy of late 1972. Infantino looks back on the crash when hes frustrated about the inconveniences he faces in his daily life. But before we begin this spooky tale, we must first go back to December 29, 1972 on board Eastern . Bound for Miami, Flight 401 took off from New York's JFK at 9:20 p.m. Although not in your arms, Im always in your heart. . In another part of the Everglades, flight attendant Mercy Ruiz shivered, her body soaked in kerosene. The answer was fine, but unfortunately the controller didn't specifically mention the altitude so no one was the wiser. "Well its difficult, we were only married 20 days, and we were both 26 years old, and she was my first love to be honest with you. However, the indicator light failed to show that the landing gear was locked down. "You couldn't even say goodbye to each . Almost 40 years ago, Eastern Airlines flight 401 crashed. Please review this photograph closely. While in the cockpit one day, preparing for the flight, another pilot heard loud knocks from under the floor beneath him. The survivors were taken to a narrow levee where helicopters took them to hospitals. All rights reserved, WATCH LIVE: Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Roadway in Western Broward, Jury Sides With Flo Rida, Awards $82 Million in Lawsuit Against Celsius, Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Road in Western Broward, Man in Custody After Allegedly Killing Co-Worker at Hollywood Business: Police, Netflix Is Hiring a Flight Attendant for One of Its Private Jets and the Job Pays Up to $385,000. A look at some of the strange tales that emerged after the accident. The captain, along with one of two flight crew members, two of 10 flight attendants, and 97 of 163 passengers, died; 75 . Hjs wife was not with him. He was so weak that doctors opted to operate without anesthesia. Fundraising was a challenge, but Raposa said radio appearances and the support of former Eastern Air Lines employees bolstered efforts. The other flight crew members were First Officer John Stockhill, a flight engineer, and Donald Luis Repo, an aircraft mechanic, and flight engineer. "We did something to the altitude," the first officer remarked, and the captain's reply was "What? Looking back, Ruiz, now 78, who worked at Eastern until the company stopped flying in 1991, sees signs in the events of Dec. 29, 1972. /24-7PressRelease/ - MIAMI, FL, December 07, 2007 - On Monday, December 3, 2007 survivors of Eastern Airlines Flight 401, gathered at the Metro-Dade Firefighters Memorial Building, in Doral (Miami), Florida, to remember the 101 passengers and crew, who lost their lives in the fateful crash of a Lockheed L-1011, jumbo-jet in the Florida Everglades, December 29, 1972, while en route from New . Beverly had gathered survivors together, seating them back to back to stay warm. In any case, it was far from the first time that the deceased pilot had supposedly been spotted after his death. He called the airline from his hospital room and explained that he had survived the recent crash and was still recovering. Robert Loft, 55; First Officer Albert Stockstill, 39, and Second Officer Donald Repo, 51, all of Miami-Dade. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L-1011 Tristar 1 jet that crashed into the Florida Everglades on the night of December 29, 1972, causing 101 fatalities (77 initial crash survivors, two died shortly afterward). But now, they still have to survive in the vast darkness of the gator infested Everglades. "I number things one to ten in my life, ten's the plane crash," he says. This month represents the 50th anniversary of the crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, which crashed into the Florida Everglades in December 1972. It was so dark she couldnt see her hands in front of her. Flight 401 - Flight Crew Fatal Photograph. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was one of South Floridas deadliest airline disasters. She has served as cabin crew on flights from economy-class to private jets. She came back and said, Mercy, I cant. She couldnt see.. READ MORE: The day when an Eastern Airlines jet crashed into the Florida Everglades. The plane actually spun in a circle, the floor dropped and I woke up in the water," he recalled. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "We did something to the altitude," he said. Located just across from the Miami Springs Country Club, survivors and families hope this memorial brings comfort 5 decades later. I don't think so we have no control over our destiny.". She heard the cries of people and shouted, 'Follow my voice, I am a flight attendant' so that any surviving passengers could find her. Tomorrow is not a given, she said. Raposa added that Flight 401 has also been widely incorporated into safety training for pilots and flight attendants. The captain was 49-year-old James Edward Reeves, who had been with Eastern Air Lines since 1956. While making preparations to land, the crew are distracted by a faulty landing gear indicator light and accidentally disengage the autopilot while trying to resolve the problem. On duty that day was also Stephanie Stanich, Trudy Smith, Sharon Transue, Beverly Rapoza and Dorothy Warnock. On Thursday, she was wearing the same Eastern Air Lines gold wings pin that she wore on the fateful night. Then he gave me last rites. "It was so cold I can't describe it.". "The crew was so preoccupied with a 50-cent life bulb, they missed the whole picture," he said. Crash: Directed by Barry Shear. At that moment Infantino was resting in his seat. Writer - Patricia joins Simple Flying with over 20 years of experience in aviation. The aircraft was delivered to Eastern Air Lines on 30 January 1969. Literally you were inside a tornado.". "Preoccupation with a malfunction of the nose landing gear position indicating system distracted the crew's attention from the instruments and allowed the descent to go unnoticed," it continued. There were 10 flight attendants in the main cabin serving 163 passengers. READ MORE: Eastern Flight 401 introduced new safety measures and books, movies and ghost stories. Shortly before the scheduled landing at about 11:30 that night, Lilly went to the restroom and when she came back they switched seats. The captain had ordered that the landing gear be lowered in preparation for landing. Miami Springs, a bedroom community bordering Miami International Airport, was home to many Eastern employees in the 1970s and 80s. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. They were surprised to hear the sound of singing in the darkness. He had 8,876 flight hours, including 3,856 hours on the DC-9. . Controllers gave their OK and told the crew to maintain an altitude of 2,000 feet, as the plane, which had been over the airport turned back over the Everglades. 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. She went on to praise the efforts of Raposa, who sang Christmas carols to maintain morale among survivors as they waited for rescue. The flight had left JFK Airport in New York en-route to Miami International Airport when it went down shortly before midnight on Dec. 29, 1972, in the swampland some 18 miles west-northwest of the airport. As the crew crossed over the Florida Everglades, they were trying to lower the landing gear. It was like a tornado. Naked in the cold water, surrounded by tall sawgrass, he heard an airboat. A flash fire also developed from sprayed fuel. Beverly attended to the injured and calmed any survivors she found. Was it a burned-out $12 bulb or a faulty landing gear? The scene was apocalyptic. One of them was Ron Infantino, an Air Force veteran in Vietnam and aviation aficianado. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401: 28 May 2008 () On 29 December 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 is on a flight to Miami International Airport. The official cause of the crash was pilot error, the crew being distracted by a faulty nose gear indicator . "The tail turned over, the floor opened under me and I went down with 400 pounds of debris on me," she said. With the 50th anniversary comes an opportunity for remembrance and reflection, to honor the lives lost and contemplate the tremendous improvements in aviation safety that followed the accident. The crash killed 101 people, including Stanich. Advertise: Call 305.775.4094 or email: I think about her every day.. The aircraft assigned to Eastern Airlines Flight 401 that December 29th was an L-1011 from Lockheed, often referred to as a Whisperliner due to its quiet engines. Later, he recognized that the pilot he'd been speaking to was, in fact, Bob. In loving memory so they will never, ever be forgotten," she said unveiling the stone monument with the names of those who died engraved in the granite. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L10111 Tristar jet that crashed into the Florida Everglades at 1142pm December 29, 1972, causing 101 fatalities (99 initial crash fatalities, two died shortly afterward). She noticed that the engines sounded different, and the aircraft jolted. 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. 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