[2] The cause of the accident was controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) after the failure of the flight crew to stop the aircraft's descent below the minimum descent altitude for the non-precision approach at Knox County airport. There was no excuse for anyone at Downeast to make mistakes. (Star Tribune). Song - The Ghost of Flight 401 - Lyrics | SHEARER, Vickie C., Bountiful, Utah. The cockpit crew, identified as Capt. Solomon Fisher 7/18/11 He had never before flown as a passenger on American Airlines via Chicago OHare to LAX, yet had no other choice, especially on a busy Memorial Day weekend. You got a new hat? The 45-year-old Whiting, Ind., native had been in the Midwest on business. I did find it interesting that even 40 years later, McCafferty said rarely a week goes by that he does not have a nightmare about the crash, and not a day goes by that he does not think about it. She was based in San Diego. Katherine Hiebert, flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. We met through mutual friends, married and spent our first two years in Grand Isle, La. To review EAA's data privacy policy or adjust your privacy settings please visit: Attend one of our upcoming hiring events and apply now. I sometimes feel that Im being haunted. My mother and father had retired to Aiea on Oahu in Hawaii. (Photo submitted by his wife, Alison Minet Adams), Jeff and I met at Tufts University in 1969 and were married in 1971. The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, native was also an Air Force veteran. Ora Crawford was a magnificent example of all she taught us. But perhaps most importantly, I dont ever remember him complaining about his disability once. (Photo submitted by her sister, Carolyn McCorkle Conklin). My fathers parenting style was as eclectic as he was. (Photo submitted by his friend, Jamie Martin). The Choice magazine employee was traveling to the American Booksellers Association convention in Los Angeles. Sedonna Ora Crawford died on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. (Photo submitted by his son, Kevin Moncrieff). On the day of the crash I was attending class at Western Michigan University where I was enrolled in the flight technology program and flying to attain my private pilots license. That was the last time I ever heard my mom laugh in just that way. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He was born in South Korea and was married with children. Varujan Eskihanci 9/7/25 As we got to know each other, we figured out our dads were both on the plane together (her dad is Paul Trammel).. CONNORS, Edward M., 57 years old, Atlanta, the captain. His abbreviated name was scribbled at the bottom of a passenger manifest but it was misspelled. Michael Greenlee, 38, of St. Paris, Ohio, and First Officer James Hayes, 41, of Woodstock, Ga., survived in good condition, as did all three flight. You have permission to edit this article. Aeschbacher was a passenger aboard Flight 191, traveling to Los Angeles to visit friends over Memorial Day weekend. Helen Marie Chestnut 4/17/39 The other passengers were annoyed at any delay, since they were getting wet standing out there in the rain. Jorge Gonzalez 1/16/38 (New York Daily News, March 14, 1979). BANNER, T., San Francisco. My mom was in remission from breast cancer and three months after the accident her cancer came back and she passed away in 1981. According to a Chicago Tribune story, Judith didnt start writing until after she turned 40, but her wryly humorous essays and hilarious mock-Chaucerian poertry quickly won a broad audience. She and her husband were traveling to the American Booksellers Association convention in Los Angeles to promote her book. My dad was sitting in a chair and said, Kerry, I need to talk to you. He was survived by a wife and two daughters. Julie enjoyed sewing and, of course, our times at various beaches in Hawaii. Of course, the best news is that nobody was hurt, and apparently the decision to leave the gear up was to assure that theyd actually make the airport by conserving lift. He was survived by three children. He was brilliant beyond his years, but one would have never guessed given how humble he was. My father was heartbroken over losing two loved ones and committed suicide in 1997. List of sole survivors of airline accidents or incidents, "Crash short, Downeast Airlines, Inc., DeHavilland [, "ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 N68DE Rockland, ME", "Crash: 30 years after Maine's worst air disaster", "Downeast Airlines Inc., deHavilland Canada DHC-6-200, N68DE, Rockland, Maine, May 30, 1979", Virtual memorial to victims (Find A Grave), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Downeast_Airlines_Flight_46&oldid=1146410576, This page was last edited on 24 March 2023, at 18:21. JavaScript is required to operate this site. The mother opened her box of memories and the pain and . Dale Ann Mazzone 5/19/51 He was a native of Bakersfield, Calif., who had also worked as the examining veterinarian for the New York Racing Association. WARNER, Leonard, 64, Pompano Beach. A union pipefitter, McCafferty said he has since flown all over the country for jobs and has never been afraid to board a plane. I have missed him and wondered what would have been for the last 40 years.. He died with co-worker Albert Zvanut. Following the crash, a friend, J. Frank of Fullerton, Calif., wrote a letter to the Los Angeles Times about him: Bob Spicuzza never made a headline in any newspaper, but he was a big part of our lives, because of the very quality of individual he represented.. But she was listed as dead in the newspapers. Zaida and my cousins were always so fun loving and very caring. He moved to Southern California in 1956 and worked for Northrop, where my mother did also. The lives of the 17 others who left Boston with him were ended. Dr. Aftabuddin Chowdhury 1/1/43 Choose wisely! She operated the Open Door bookstore in Schenectady, N.Y. She was originally from Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Portions of the website, including membership login, join, renewal, shopping, and AirVenture ticketing may be unavailable at that time. He had just purchased a vacation home and was coaching a soccer team for children. They are shown in this undated photo with their sons Joel, Michael and Jeremy. CHAPFIELD, V., Boynton Beach, Fla. CHERKAS, M., address unknown. When he saw his students car headlights were fully covered by mud, Ping dropped his crutches, went down on his knees and took out his handkerchief to clean off the head lights. Murray Yellin 6/9/11 (Photo submitted by her brother, Chago (Santiago) Perez-Kolk), Jack Stone, seated in front, in an undated family photo with wife, June, and sons Jon, left, and Jeff. Family was very important to her. He didnt like it when we would argue and he strictly enforced the Chicago no ketchup on hot dogs policy. leading to a further conversation of all the little blue dots she probably has on her head. The crew elected to divert to Tulita, Northwest Territories (CZFN), but quickly determined that the descent rate would not permit that as an option. SILVERMAN, F., Palm Beach. She was in Vermont to visit my family and myself, but I was not there at the time since I took a job as a roadie for the band Bad Company several weeks earlier. (Photo submitted by her former student, Rebecca W. Wright). He had 17 years experience as a pilot, but less than a year's experience as a chief pilot. I am a perfectionist, and they make judgments that I feel are against the company. Send in your stories, photos and memories via email at: ddunkle@villagesoup.com; or snail mail to: 91 Camden St., Suite 403, Rockland, ME 04841. Raposa, Beverly | He flew combat support missions and during that time was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. Justin Brown, 40, holds a photograph of his aunt, Martha Vickery, who at 38 years old, died after Flight 191 crashed just after takeoff at O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. He was traveling back to Southern California after a business meeting in Benton Harbor, Mich. Eugene F. Bugajski died on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. Which he did. He died on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. Nursing education is, and has always been, a very challenging process, during which the student is not only required to learn, adopt and practice skilled nursing observation and procedures, but also to develop the personal maturity and character that is required on a daily basis in the profession. Non-Scheduled Part 135 Flight Hours, 2010-2019. She was based in San Diego. He had an aspiring career with Union Oil. I was a friend and co-worker to 2 passengers, Gail DeCastro and Kathy Adduci, as well as a co-worker with Rhonda DeYoungs, mother, Kathy. Nobody wanted that crash to happen. She had attended a workshop in New York and was traveling home to Southern California. Come sit on my lap.. Jose Carrasquillo 6/28/40 My father joined the U.S. Navy and became a pilot where he served in Hawaii. He was a super genius. The 18-year-old was traveling to Hawaii with friends Kathleen Adduci and Gail DiCastro. The 35-year-old Brookline, Mass., native was a member of the International Monetary Market of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. He was among the 30 victims whose remains were never identified. When the plane he was on took off, it circled around and came right back in for a landing because the door was not shut properly, and she said she figured that made three. Stephanie Rae Stanich 11/10/48 He opened the book shop 2 1/2 years prior to his death and was survived by a wife and son. The 16-year-old son of Marine Corps Maj. Steven Driscoll, who was then stationed at Kaneohe air station, was returning home for summer vacation from high school in Iowa. Julie Ozminkowski was from College Station, Texas and we met each other while stationed at Hickam AFB Hawaii. Sheldon, 51, was Playboy vice president who joined the staff in 1960 and was named managing editor in 1972. Surviving Crew Members AMATULLI, Jenny, 35, Miami. Roberto Palma 6/10/27 Education had been our fathers pathway out of poverty in his home country of Taiwan and he inculcated in his children the value of working hard and doing well in school. Our mom was loving, smart, clever, compassionate, creative, loyal, innovative and one of a kind. Official Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 - History, Photos, Survivors and Tribute | He also left behind many friends. Seated in the rear of the plane, McCafferty briefly saw trees through the fog just before the crash. Though he is grateful for his life, McCafferty said he would never forget that flight and the people who never made it home. [3] Originally, Stenger flew, refueled and loaded passenger luggage onto the aircraft, and his wife would sell tickets. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. We worked for the Burroughs Corporation and Im quite sure his home was in (California). She was tickled to death to get back., I was 4 when she died. I remember my grandfather and I waking up in the morning and singing, Pop Goes the Weasel while waiting for the toast to pop up out of the new toaster. Don J. Novelli, right, and his wife, Pat, in an undated photo. My husband, John, was Aunt Lils nephew, his mothers youngest sister. NIDA, Randall Lee, Davie, Fla. O'RIELLY, K., Brisbane, Australia. One of her specialty areas was keeping a diverse inventory of books by Appalachian authors, including her good friend Jesse Stuart. My aunt Zaida Schade, her husband Paul Schade and daughters Zaida Louisa and Marjorie were all passengers on that flight. My dad was invited to present at a conference in Chicago in May 1979. He also had his scalp torn from his forehead. On its 102nd flight, the USAF Northrop XF-89 Scorpion, 46-678, crashed on Rosecrans Avenue, Hawthorne, California, after making a high-speed low pass for Air Force officials at Hawthorne Airport (Northrop Field). In addition to trips to Asia and South America, he was back in Chicago often and had an office in the Merchandise Mart. Tenn., flight attendant, JOHNSON, Caria, New York City, flight attendant, WARNS, Grores, Blairstown, N.J., flight engineer, See the article in its original context from. The crew evacuated the aircraft sustaining no injuries however, the aircraft was destroyed. Carol Ohm, flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. She was a sweet and beautiful sister who had many friends. Jesus Lorenzo 4/26/37 The 49-year-old worked for Beneficial Standard Life Insurance Co. in Los Angeles. Wheaton, Capt. (Luigi Mendicino/Chicago Tribune). They took a small plane from Moline to OHare where they then boarded Flight 191 to head back home. My dad wasnt supposed to be on that flight he was scheduled for a flight later that day but was able to get on Flight 191 at the last minute as a standby passenger. I learned the news when I arrived there from the airlines. Dad loved model trains and he and his brother would take us on long road trips in his station wagon to various train shows and conventions. He had grown up relatively poor; as a child he had wanted for a lot. We have a fog bank off Owls Head that seems to roll in like clockwork every day. LEVER, Evelyn, Fort Lauderdale. Cookies are required for this site to operate correctly. 17 July: A TAM Airlines jet crashes on landing at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, in Brazil's worst-ever air disaster. My mom was in Honolulu recovering from a heart problem and my dad just came out from a bank meeting in Hong Kong and saw the newspaper headlines about the American Airlines DC-10 crash. (Sheldon Wax photo: AP and Judith Wax photo: Jack Mulcahy/Chicago Tribune), Dale Witthoft, left, with daughters Allison and Jennifer and wife Barbara in an undated photo. I have nightmares, McCafferty said this week. He met my mother, Donna, and they married. He was survived by four children: Mike, 20, a sophomore at the University of California at Riverside; Becky, 18, three weeks from graduating high school; Patty, 16, a junior; and Jim, 15, a sophomore. The devastation of the accident affected my family way beyond 1979. I know that my father, who is the last living member of their siblings, misses her greatly and although he suffers from Alzheimers disease and (is) not able to remember, she will always be in his heart., Michael W. Schassburger, a San Diego based flight attendant for American Airlines, was on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. Romeo "Romy" Mon died on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. After their week in New York, dad put Papa on a flight back to Los Angeles and dad went to Chicago for a meeting his partner asked him to take for their new business venture, One Stop Posters. McLAUGHLIN, D., Sandy, Utah. He left behind his mother, father, younger brother Chris and older sister Cathy. MAHSEREJIAN, Mark, Fort Lauderdale. She was returning from a training session at Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago with a co-employee Peter Moon who we also miss dearly.. His 50th birthday was an epic event at the Encino (Calif.) house. BOEKELOO, Pat, Fort Lauderdale. The German national Anne-Katrin Feigl was named as a victim of the crash by the International Organisation for Migration. Our mother was Pings biggest cheerleader and taught him to reach for the stars. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. He often thinks about the victims of the crash, the 17 lives lost, and what they would've done in their lifetimes. On Facebook the other day, I posed the question to my reporter friends: "What's the weirdest thing you have taken notes on when you ran out of notebooks?". I miss her dearly and know I may see her again.. The following is a ast of known survivors of the Pan American Boeing 747 involved in the Canary Island crash as provided Monday to The Associated Press by Pan Am officials: CULBERTSON, Slcohen, Green Valley, Arizona. Her promotion to a director of international editions was the reason for moving to Chicago in 1974. I did achieve this, graduating in 1981 and joining the U.S. Navy as a pilot. McCafferty, now 56, still resides in Searsmont, Maine. (Photo submitted by her niece, Ivelisse Rios-Lopez) (HANDOUT). After Julies remains were identified she was provided a military funeral with full military honors in College Station. Gemme died on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. Essentially a pilot, Stenger was forced to manage his airline as well. The Marine was returning to his station in Hawaii. After writing that column, I had a chance to interview John McCafferty, who was the only survivor of the crash. She was working aboard Flight 191 and left behind a husband. About Flight 401 | McCafferty is asking for help with this book. The first officer, 39-year-old George Hines, had been with the airline for two months and had only flown single-engine aircraft before joining Downeast. THOMPSON, Evan, Boca Raton. He was always passenger J. The last time I saw Jim was in 1968, when we ran into each other on campus at ND. He decided to accept the offer from Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto because I was living in Los Angeles, my parents were about to retire in Hawaii and my brother wanted to be physically close to our family. Judith Wax, who wrote the inspiring poem called "The Waterbury Tales," during an interview on Sept. 14, 1973. John Luther Conner died on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. I think of it every day. IBARGUENGCITIA, Fernando, San Antonio, Tex. Ghosts of Flight 401 - 5 | Greta Foye 3/19/45 The 31-year-old was a physician in the South American country. published on May 26, 1979. When he got home and heard all that had happened, he went down to see the crash site of the plane he was supposed to have been on. He was survived by a wife and two children. My grandmother and I would go out to the backyard and swing on our tree swing and play in my wooden sandbox. While en route, approximately 140 nautical miles southeast of CYVQ at 6,500 feet above sea level (ASL), the crew noticed a drop in the right engine oil quantity indicator in conjunction with a propeller overspeed. Ockenfels said Stenger may have been a taskmaster with a flinty personality, but at no time did he ever pressure him to land under risky conditions. The 19-year-old was a freshman business major at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Sally Jo Titterington, 33, flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. She was our Professor of Psychiatric Nursing at Morris Harvey College (now University of Charleston), in West Virginia. A Russian history major at UCLA, he dropped out in his senior year to become the first Jewish salesman at Levi Strauss & Co. Vicky Chen Haider, who died on American Airlines Flight 191, which crashed just north of O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979. He began flying for American Airlines in 1966 and was the first officer on Flight 191.