There was no fear, no panic, no anything. "I number things one to ten in my life, ten's the plane crash," he says. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was one of South Florida's deadliest airline disasters. Days later, the wreckage of the aircraft was retrieved from the swamp, and some of its parts were able to be salvaged, including a galley. In the cockpit: Capt. I can also come here to feel her and be close to her.. She, too, couldnt move because of a fractured pelvic bone. 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. On December 29, 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 crashes into the Florida Everglades, resulting in 101 fatalities. In addition to commemorating Flight 401, the creative talent behind the exhibit is seeking to help survivors raise the funding needed to create a permanent large-scale memorial to Flight 401's victims and survivors in the City of Miami Springs, once home to a thriving Eastern Air Lines community. It was so dark she couldnt see her hands in front of her. On the returning flight, an engine failed and had to be shut down before it caught fire. /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 . "They're home," Beverly said. Infantino, around the time of his wedding, had completed an aptitude test, sent in his rsum and applied for a job as a pilot at Eastern Airlines. The pilots engaged the autopilot so they could inspect the light and the landing gear but the darkness apparently made it hard to see. Miami, Florida: A young survivor of an Eastern Airlines Tristar jet which crashed in the Everglades near Miami is helped from a helicopter by hospital personnel in Miami. All rights reserved, WATCH LIVE: Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Roadway in Western Broward. Hardly anyone has stopped by in 35 years to discuss the crash. . I say, 'Calm down, Ron, what number is this? Checks can be made payable to: National Air Disaster Foundation 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 Everglades on the night of Dec. 29, 1972. The idea for a memorial for Eastern Flight 401 first popped up at the 35th anniversary gathering in the Everglades. The 50th Anniversary of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Memorial Monument will be dedicated in a 1300 EST ceremony on December 29, 2022. . And then she started walking away, trying to help people. Forty-five years ago, when Officer Gray Leonhard of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission began a solo night patrol in the Everglades, he was on the lookout for poachers, drug smugglers and maybe even a bullet-riddled corpse. The latest local, regional and national news events are presented by the Local 10 News Team along with updated sports, weather and traffic. People were screaming, and partially clothed dead bodies were face down in the water. Updated on: December 29, 2022 / 6:57 PM Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Miami International Airport. But today, for Infantino, is about Lilly and the other lost lives. The captain had ordered that the landing gear be lowered in preparation for landing. But a light didnt confirm whether the landing gear was down. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was on its final approach into Miami shortly before midnight 50 years ago this month when a single light bulb on the aircraft's instrument panel failed to illuminate. Eastern Airlines Flight #401 (L1011 N310EA) crashed in the Everglades on December 29, 1972. Love aviation history? And he said the disaster taught him something about life. Shortly before the scheduled landing at about 11:30 that night, Lilly went to the restroom and when she came back they switched seats. After the wreckage is removed, salvageable parts from the plane are used to repair other aircraft. Infantino had met his wife, a Little Havana resident, when he moved to Miami after the Air Force. The Douglas DC-9-31 carried 78 passengers and four crew members. 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. There were 75 survivors, including a 23-year-old flight . Visit miamiherald.com. On Dec. 29, theyll unveil a memorial in Miami Springs to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Eastern crash. Dawn Quinn's grandfather was pilot Robert Loft. The helicopters had trouble finding the wreckage but Marquis used his headlamp to help signal them, as he continued to pull survivors from the wreckage. "Hey, what's happening here?" But what was inside was the real prize: a Kodak Instamatic camera and rolls of film. She found Beverly and commented 'it's a bad dream, we are going to wake up.' Since the flight was full, he exercised his privilege as an Eastern Airlines employee, and rode in the cockpit jumpseat. Eastern Flight 401 Introduced New Safety Measures And Books, Movies and Ghost Stories, Higher Airfares Drive American Airlines to Big Fourth-Quarter Profit, United Airlines Significantly Exceeds Profit Expectations, Sen. Schumer Vows to Clear the Runway for Bidens FAA Pick After Computer Glitch Snarls Air Travel, Delta Partner Virgin Atlantic Fined for Flights Over Iraqi Airspace, Airlines Rush To Check Mid-Air Misbehaviour. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Then came the final and fatal mistake. Raposa said she has flown for over 20 years for business, saying she sleeps like a baby every time she flies. The swamp water that may have saved him also caused him to get gangrene, causing it to swell to three times its normal size and smell "like rotten eggs." She heard the cries of people and shouted, 'Follow my voice, I am a flight attendant' so that any surviving passengers could find her. In the hospital he learned just how bad off he was. 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. According to the Aviation Safety Network, Eastern Air Lines had 163 passengers and 13 members of crew onboard, totaling 176 occupants altogether. Based in Norwich, UK. 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. Throughout the course of aviation history, there have been several other ghost stories. The Memorial is located just South and West of the new Miami Springs sign that was erected on the Curtiss Parkway median. Truth or scare? the first officer asked, and the captain immediately exclaimed "Hey, what's happening here?". READ MORE: There was another tragedy in Miami after Eastern Flight 401. It also offered the opportunity to discuss their efforts to commemorate victims prior to the December 2022 inauguration of the 50th Anniversary of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Memorial Monument. Almost immediately, airboat operators who saw the flash responded to the area. Meanwhile, a flight attendant on a New York to Miami flight (the very route of the December 1972 crash) opened an overhead locker to find Bob's face peering out at her. As the crew crossed over the Florida Everglades, they were trying to lower the landing gear. The survivors were taken to a narrow levee where helicopters took them to hospitals. It also marked the first the first jumbo jet to crash. Infantino, then 26, awoke bobbing in the swamp, unable to move with an injured arm, chest and knee. Eastern 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 flight attendants who perished on the flight are: Patricia A. Ghyssels; Stephanie Rae Stanich; Eastern Airlines Flight EA401 Memorial in Miami Springs honors the 101 souls who perished on December 29, 1972 SURVIVORS OF EASTERN AIRLINES FLIGHT 401. Beverly Rapoza had just returned from the cabin, collecting empty dishes and glasses, and was looking forward to some rest. The aircraft was a five-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 registered as N8984E. Infantino and three of the flight attendants who survived the crash spoke to NBC Miami as the 39th anniversary of the flight approached. This commemorative event in the Everglades represented one of many, which also included smaller meetings among survivors and supporters. asked Loft. However, 75 people did survive the crash. Tell people you love them. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. DALLAS December 29, 2022, will mark a half-century since the fatal crash of Eastern Air Lines (EA) Flight 401. 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. Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 was a regularly scheduled flight between Charleston, South Carolina and Chicago Illinois with a stop at Charlotte, North Carolina. The other 101 people on Eastern Airlines Flight 401 died quite horribly 98 in the Everglades where the airplane crashed, three later in hospitals. And he is delighted he will get to dine more often at one of his favorite restaurants, Kamiko Sushi Bar in Doral. Definition: Here is something interesting that we discovered during our research. Beverly Raposa a survior of Eastern Flight 401 29th December 1972 crash of an L-1011, tail number N310EA explains her experience Washington, DC 20006, Online Donations can be made at www.PlaneSafe.org. He reportedly then said, "Watch out for fire in this plane.". The memorial monument will be accessible by foot and car, with parking and benches located nearby. 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. In any case, it was far from the first time that the deceased pilot had supposedly been spotted after his death. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was one of South Florida's deadliest airline disasters. The crew had previously been encouraged to report every incident pertaining to the flight in the aircraft log books, and many sightings were recorded. All of the bodies were recovered, 99 perished that night, two more would die from their injuries. Advertise: Call 305.775.4094 or email: And never go out of the house angry. Beverly has often wondered how she survived how anyone survived. She freed herself, then went to work saving others. Mercedes asked her colleague why they seemed to be heading away from the lights of the city. Writer - Patricia joins Simple Flying with over 20 years of experience in aviation. "The NTSB, when they studied it, they said this crash was unsurvivable, yet 75 miracles came out of there.". The left wing tip hit first. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Everglades on December 29, 1972 as it was descending to land at Miami International Airport. The flight started in New York. After the impact the aircraft disintegrated, scattering wreckage over an area approximately 1,600 feet long and 300 feet wide. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was on its final approach into Miami shortly before midnight 50 years ago this month when a single light bulb on the aircraft's instrument panel failed to illuminate. I didn't know what to do.". "I said, 'Please don't leave me here alone, I'm so cold,'" he remembers pleading with her. "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. The precious love we shared means we are never far apart,. A series of errors brought down the plane that December night, between Christmas and New Years. There were 10 flight attendants in the main cabin serving 163 passengers. "I don't know where she was. Raposa explained that over many years, we worked, trying to put something together, emphasizing the development of a tribute for Flight 401. Its closure; its been a long time coming, she said. The cockpit crew, scrambling to identify the problem, got permission from air traffic control to circle the Everglades. "They were incredible," says Infantino. We reach over 20,000 people each month. Marquis would work tirelessly throughout the night and the next day rescuing people. She and Marquis would be remembered as two of the heroes from that night. Crash: Directed by Barry Shear. . On returning to the galley, another flight attendant saw an engineer fixing the oven. Chapter 4 - Flight 401 Passenger List. It happened just west of Miami International Airport. She downsized plans for the memorial so it could be completed while the remaining survivors are still alive. Soon passengers and crew on those aircraft report seeing what they believe to be the ghost of the . Then he noticed that the pilot did a fly-by the airport. She asked the flight engineer later about the oven, and he said he hadn't fixed it, and it didn't need to be fixed. "I'm no doctor. Perhaps the most extraordinary and credible research into the ghost phenomenon ever documented is the so-called "Ghosts of Flight 401."On December of 1972, an Eastern Airlines Tri-Star jetliner, Flight 401, crashed into a Florida swamp.Read the accident report (PDF). Edit. One of the worst air disasters in South Florida history happened exactly 50 years ago Thursday, when Eastern Airlines Flight 401 slammed into the Florida Everglades, killing more than 100 people and leading to the implementation of several aviation safety measures. Remembering EAL Flt. He has a masters degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelors degree in education from the Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ro Piedras. At that moment Infantino was resting in his seat. He was so weak that doctors opted to operate without anesthesia. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. However, the indicator light failed to show that the landing gear was locked down. The crash, another seminal moment in South Florida aviation history, killed all 110 people on board. Fundraising was a challenge, but Raposa said radio appearances and the support of former Eastern Air Lines employees bolstered efforts. Infantino heard that, but nobody could hear him. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "The blessing was we didn't know we were about to crash. It also offered the opportunity to discuss their efforts to commemorate victims prior to the December 2022 inauguration of the 50th Anniversary of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Memorial Monument. In another part of the Everglades, flight attendant Mercy Ruiz shivered, her body soaked in kerosene. Those still in a sufficiently usable state were used again on the Eastern Air Lines fleet. It marked the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 disaster. 19 de agosto de 1972 (fonte: Jetsite ) O voo 401 da Eastern Air Lines, realizado por um avio Lockheed L-1011, foi vtima de um acidente tendo cado num pntano da Flrida, Estados Unidos (nos chamados Everglades) na noite do dia 29 de dezembro de 1972, causando a morte de 101 das 176 pessoas, entre passageiros e tripulantes, que seguiam a . The flight crew had not realized that the autopilot had been accidentally switched off and the aircraft was descending. The precious love we shared means we are never far apart, Infantino said. The flooring of the plane crumbled. All the survivors were injured; 60 received serious injuries and 17 suffered minor injuries that did not require . Amid the planes wreckage, her cream-colored, company-issued suitcase was the only one that remained intact. From the 1972 crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 in the Florida Everglades, to the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 and the tragedies of Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 resulting from faulty sensors on the Boeing 737 Max 8, Podhurst Orseck has grown from aviation litigation pioneer to the premier firm of its kind globally. In 2021, a memorial marker was installed in the Everglades to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the May 11, 1996, ValuJet crash. Raposa was one of 75 survivors. She was six feet above the swamp but released her harness. Pieces of the shattered plane lay scattered in the muck and jet fuel stained the inky waters of the Everglades. The answer was fine, but unfortunately the controller didn't specifically mention the altitude so no one was the wiser. This message board is intended for serious discussions of the December 29th, 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401. So I'll never forget it, I brought it to my chest and held it.". A short time later, the plane was cleared to turn back to MIA and that's when a crewmember noticed something was amiss. In the 1970's, tales of such ghostly apparitions flew around the USA and the airline world. He read a poem in her honor from her perspective as if she were speaking to him from the heavens above. He held out hope that his wife had survived another patient with their last name was admitted to a hospital in Florida. The list of passengers who perished on Eastern Airlines flight EA401 and honored on the Memorial are: The list of pilots who perished on Eastern Airlines flight EA401 are: The flight attendants who perished on the flight are: Fortunately, there were 75 survivors during that horrible tragedy of late 1972. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. . But it also crept into popular culture through . Fortunately, there were 75 survivors during that horrible tragedy of late 1972. Eastern Flight 401: A survivor's story. Dedication of a Memorial Monument for the 50th Anniversary of Eastern Flight 401. Why them two?. While Flight 401 came with intense loss, Ruiz emphasized that it spurred many significant safety developments in the aviation industry, from the advent of cockpit resource management (CRM) to the adoption of ground proximity warning system (GPWS) devices in commercial airliners. 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. When youve stared death in the face just as I have, she said, you dont take things for granted anymore.. The captain was 49 . "Brand new, spacious, the seating was gorgeous, there was a beautiful lounge in the back.". Southern Airboat and other organizations also plan to honor Bud and the victims and survivors of Eastern Flight 401 with a service and a barbecue in Miami. 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