In his first public comments since his highly publicized move from Atlanta United, Martinez told the Herald that his girlfriend, two-month-old son, and more than half his friends live in Doral. Its like the light they needed in the Everglades on that December night 50 years ago. 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. 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. The pilots engaged the autopilot so they could inspect the light and the landing gear but the darkness apparently made it hard to see. The aircraft was a five-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 registered as N8984E. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Miami International Airport. There's so many good things, positive things came out of Flight 401, that this plane crash can never happen again with all the safety features put on it, said Infantino. "She said, 'I have to find my family, but here's my sweater.' Beverly attended to the injured and calmed any survivors she found. 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. After this, sightings started of Bob and Don, standing in the aisle, cockpit, and galley. After donating, please email the NADF Executive Director, Gail Dunhan so that she can send you an acknowledgement of your tax deductible donation. On the night of December 29th, 1972, he was a passenger on Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from New York to Miami. Pieces of the shattered plane lay scattered in the muck and jet fuel stained the inky waters of the Everglades. This story was originally published December 29, 2022 7:10 PM. The flight path of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 in its final moments. All the survivors were injured; 60 received serious injuries and 17 suffered minor injuries that did not require . According to a National Transportation Safety Board report, the pilots placed the landing gear handle down but noticed the green light that indicates that the nose landing gear is fully extended and locked failed to illuminate. Raposa added that Flight 401 has also been widely incorporated into safety training for pilots and flight attendants. The pair also described takeaways for the public around aviation safety to go along with memorial efforts for Flight 401. Infantino and three of the flight attendants who survived the crash spoke to NBC Miami as the 39th anniversary of the flight approached. It was a huge fireball. 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. His knee was badly dislocated, his shin able to swivel in any direction. Love aviation history? The answer was fine, but unfortunately the controller didn't specifically mention the altitude so no one was the wiser. The crash killed 101 people, including Stanich. Raposa was among 75 "miracle survivors." Another 101 died. She was dazed and disoriented but noticed a penlight flashing nearby. But what was inside was the real prize: a Kodak Instamatic camera and rolls of film. Five years ago, Raposa revived the idea and got approval to place it on a plot of public land in Miami Springs. The aircraft was delivered to Eastern Air Lines on 30 January 1969. 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." It helps me put life in perspective, you see.". "I can't see it, it's pitch dark and I throw the little light, I get, ah, nothing," the second officer said, according to the report. We reach over 20,000 people each month. There was no fear, no panic, no anything. Robert Marquis, an airboat captain out hunting frogs that night, witnessed the crash and rushed to the rescue, suffering burns to his face, arms, and legs as he ferried survivors to safety. MIAMI - Thursday marks 50 years since Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades. Those still in a sufficiently usable state were used again on the Eastern Air Lines fleet. "Same thing in our lives. He had 8,876 flight hours, including 3,856 hours on the DC-9. Ruiz also described the anniversary as an opportunity to reflect on the lives lost in the crash. Ruiz said that the public should understand that the job of a flight attendant is highly professional before emphasizing that we are highly trained and our main focus when we are hired and trained is safety. Ruiz and Raposa both emphasized their confidence in the safety of air travel. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 traveled from New York to Miami. She, too, couldnt move because of a fractured pelvic bone. The plane was heading away from the city lights. Raposa said a turning point came when supporter Shannon DeWitt offered to help coordinate fundraising and construction efforts for a monument, a pivot from the original idea of a tribute. Another time, a captain was asked to check on a passenger in first class who was in a pilot's uniform. "He said they found Lilly's body," he said. Contact: brent@airwaysmag.com, 2022 Airways Publishing, LLC. Remembering EAL Flt. Beverly Raposa switched seats from her regular position in the galley for a flight from New York to Miami. The precious love we shared means we are never far apart, Infantino said. I can also come here to feel her and be close to her.. From there a series of seemingly small mistakes and oversights led to the epic crash. Through five decades, lessons stick with the survivors of 401. It was time to leave as each of us will do. Patricia McQuigg, Beverly Raposa, and Mercy Ruiz joined Infantino this week at a program to teach airline experts and passengers the lessons learned from a dark night in the Everglades. Almost 40 years ago, Eastern Airlines flight 401 crashed. Bud Marquis, who was out hunting frogs with a friend, was the first to arrive and found a scene of chaos, with survivors struggling in the swampy wreckage. An aircraft crashes in the Florida Everglades, killing 103 passengers. Click on contribute in the blue box in the right column of the home page. She asked fellow flight attendant Patricia Ghyssels, who sat across from her, what was going on. Organizers are still seeking donations to cover the cost of the memorial, a bill that stands at about $20,000. "My god, you're here, please don't leave me," he remembers telling them. 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. He would later learn the voice came from flight attendant Beverly Raposa, who would later lead survivors in Christmas carols to try to keep their spirits up in the cold night. The following is a list of survivors and victims of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. The event, which will begin at 1 p.m., is open to the public. When the flight crew on Eastern Air Lines 401 noticed a possible issue with their aircraft, they immediately went into troubleshooting mode to ensure the problem could be fixed. However, the indicator light failed to show that the landing gear was locked down. According to the Aviation Safety Network, Eastern Air Lines had 163 passengers and 13 members of crew onboard, totaling 176 occupants altogether. 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. Based in Dubai, Ghosts On A Plane? If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. See the coverage as it happened. Then he gave me last rites. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, another Eastern Airlines CFIT . In another part of the Everglades, flight attendant Mercy Ruiz shivered, her body soaked in kerosene. Eastern employees visited Infantino for a two-hour interview. And he is delighted he will get to dine more often at one of his favorite restaurants, Kamiko Sushi Bar in Doral. 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. Earlier this year, Simple Flying took a look at the eight most intriguing examples. She has served as cabin crew on flights from economy-class to private jets. "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 left wing tip hit first. Tell people you love them. If were a little late, its overtime.. No, they dont, Raposa, now 75, recalls telling Stanich. The captain, along with one of two flight crew members, two of 10 flight attendants, and 97 of 163 passengers, died; 75 . But now, they still have to survive in the vast darkness of the gator infested Everglades. But that turned out to be Infantinos uncle, who wasnt on the plane. Since the flight was full, he exercised his privilege as an Eastern Airlines employee, and rode in the cockpit jumpseat. So when Im stuck in traffic, I say, Ron, What number is this? The plane's capacity . Woman, 66, has been missing for weeks, Miami cops say, Date night: Ivanka Trump posts picture with Jared Kushner at this Miami hot spot, Miami to Palm Beach lawyers email trouble, aggravated battery, fighting disbarment, DeSantis appoints a Lourdes Academy staffer to the Miami-Dade School Board, Former state Rep. Grieco should have law license temporarily suspended, report says, A Coral Gables attorney suspended in 2020, disbarred in 2022 wants to be back by July, Suspect arrested after Miami gas station clerk is stabbed multiple times. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Shortly after, the plane crashed into the swamp. Today Infantino will present two wreaths, one for Flight 401 and the other for Valujet, the 1996 Everglades crash that killed all 110 on board. 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. This month represents the 50th anniversary of the crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, which crashed into the Florida Everglades in December 1972. Bud Marquis raced to the scene to assist survivors and he used his head-mounted light to signal the first U. S. Coast Guard HH-52A as to where . Its a bad dream. Flight attendants Patricia and Stephanie tragically died in the crash, along with the flight crew. There were 10 flight attendants in the main cabin serving 163 passengers. Patricia commented on the fact that it was the holiday season and maybe they'd earn some overtime. Amid the planes wreckage, her cream-colored, company-issued suitcase was the only one that remained intact. Raposa would spend the next grueling hours fighting for those who survived the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401. Definition: Here is something interesting that we discovered during our research. Aviation consultant Bennie Benitez said there were many positive safety elements that came out of 401, like flash lights on all planes. Soon passengers and crew on those aircraft report seeing what they believe to be the ghost of the . READ MORE: An Eastern plane crashed into the Everglades in 1972. Its closure; its been a long time coming, she said. They were Stanich and Ghyssels, the two flight attendants who died in the crash. Thus, Raposa continued, It was 101 airboats that actually went out there, and we lost 101 souls. In addition to the airboats, Ruiz described freefalling white flowers from small aircraft overhead. Ruiz said that the NTSB interviewed herself and other surviving crew members as part of the official accident report, each of whom agreed that flashlights represented one item they wished they possessed on the night of the crash. Raposa emphasized that those who died that fateful day are gone but never, ever forgotten., The developmental process of the monument represented both a commemoration of the Flight 401 victims and decades of collaboration among survivors. The harrowing tale of three survivors of the 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines flight 401 into the Everglades. It happened 40 years ago today on a cold dark night in the Everglades, a brand new "Whisperliner" jumbo jet crashed in the swamp, killing 101. Of the 163 passengers and 13 crewmembers aboard, 94 passengers and five crewmembers were killed, while two other survivors died days later from their injuries. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. To the flight 401 survivors - Franoise Riette December 30, 2020, 5:02 pm. "You will never be forgotten. With Ernest Borgnine, Gary Lockwood, Tina Chen, Kim Basinger. The crash claimed the lives of 101 passengers and crew. The crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401, along with other major air disasters around the same time, eventually led to a number of aircraft safety enhancements, including crew resource management, which has procedures for decision making in cockpits to try to eliminate human error. Updated on: December 29, 2022 / 6:57 PM "Hey, what's happening here?" Ruiz was 28 years old and had been working as a flight attendant for less than three years when the plane went down. The scene of the wreckage of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 in the Everglades west of Miami International Airport. I reach over and all the sudden my fingers go inside of my bicep," he said. The airline still wanted to interview him for an opening that he could start after his health improved. 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. Those are the last moments Ron Infantino, 76, who now lives in The Villages in Central Florida, remembers before blacking out. The captain was 49-year-old James Edward Reeves, who had been with Eastern Air Lines since 1956. . 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. He said 401 needs a memorial not only for those who died but for its importance in airline safety. said Stockstill. She was six feet above the swamp but released her harness. 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. Aboard were 13 crew members and 163 holiday travelers. A short time later, the plane was cleared to turn back to MIA and that's when a crewmember noticed something was amiss. They didn't find her body until two days later," he said. I said, 'I know what you're going through because I lost somebody too.' While the crash has inspired two feature-length movies and numerous documentaries and training films, there is no permanent memorial for Eastern Flight 401. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was one of South Floridas deadliest airline disasters. Flight attendants Mercedes Ruiz and Patricia McQuigg were working at the rear of the aircraft. Omar is a bilingual and bicultural journalist, covering breaking news in South Florida for the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. Fatal Flight: Eastern Airlines Flight 401 50 Years Later, Now Open: Self-Help Credit Union Opens in Miami Springs, How to Find a Reputable Staffing Agency in Miami, Famous Flamingos Fly to Familiar Refuge Each Night, Lowest Number of New COVID Cases Since October, COVID-19 Cases Unexpectedly Increased Last Week, Gazette Publisher Should Do Comprehensive Investigative Reporting, How to Create a Dating App Like Tinder and Succeed, Charles B. Stafford: The Only Miami Springs Police Officer Killed in the Line of Duty, Christina Aguilera Premiers Video Filmed at Curtiss Mansion, Narcotics Arrest at NW 36th Street and LeJeune, Councilwoman Bravo Signals No Confidence in City Attorney. "It was almost five hours before they even found me, five hours in the same spot, the same spot, I couldn't move, I couldn't get up," he said. The Story Of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. While in the cockpit one day, preparing for the flight, another pilot heard loud knocks from under the floor beneath him. Shortly before the scheduled landing at about 11:30 that night, Lilly went to the restroom and when she came back they switched seats. Then I knew how bad I was.". /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 . Eastern Airlines Flight 401 left a mark on the aviation industry and permanent scars for survivors and loved ones of those who died in the crash. The Lockheed L-1011 crashed into the Florida Everglades. Amazingly, 75 of the 176 passengers and crew aboard Flight 401 survived. The disaster took the lives Ruiz said this began many, many years back with efforts to commemorate the victims from us, the surviving crew members, people close to the victims, and all of the people from our community who really wanted to join us.. Two days into recovery his dad came into his hospital room. In 2015 we warned you that the new Miami Springs pool was going to be much smaller than the grand olympic sized pool we had for over 50 years. . The 76-year-old said his wife of 20 days, Lilly Infantino, died in the crash. For decades, many of the 75 survivors have reflected on ways to honor those who died in the tragedy. Raposa explained that over many years, we worked, trying to put something together, emphasizing the development of a tribute for Flight 401. Then there was silence. The crash of Eastern Flight 401. My arm was hanging there. gadunham@aol.com. The flight had been uneventful until the Lockheed L-1011 jet was making its approach to MIA. The crash changed the course of the aviation industry through new safety measures that require pilots to maintain communication with the cabin crew and require flight attendants to carry larger flashlights. 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. "They're home," Beverly said. At one point he noticed that his right arm didn't seem right. Eastern Flight 401, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, remains the worst aviation accident in Florida history. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Located just across from the Miami Springs Country Club, survivors and families hope this memorial brings comfort 5 decades later. It was time to leave as each of us will do. Eastern Flight 401: A survivor's story. "These poor people were still my responsibility. "My grandfather was a kind, humble, perfectionist. And she knows what I went through, so you have that same bonding with one another.". ", But he was worried about Lilly. The pilot was unnerved by what had happened and canceled the flight. Thanks to Jim Kalafus for the corrected names of Flight 401 victims drawn from Dade Country death certificate files and his continued research and participation in this effort. The death toll was, in 1972, the highest of any one-plane accident. - Flight Safety Foundation. In 2021, a memorial marker was installed in the Everglades to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the May 11, 1996, ValuJet crash. 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. The survivors were taken to a narrow levee where helicopters took them to hospitals. But it also crept into popular culture through . We're trying to build a memorial out there to try to honor that not only the survivals but the ones who died, ron All rights reserved, WATCH LIVE: Small Plane Makes Emergency Landing on Roadway in Western Broward. And he said the disaster taught him something about life. I just regret not getting a chance to say goodbye. According to George Rodez who will be hosting a special event at the History Miami Museum, . Throughout the course of aviation history, there have been several other ghost stories.
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