I reach over and all the sudden my fingers go inside of my bicep," he said. One hundred and one lives were lost that late December evening, with 75 passengers and crew . . Infantino and other survivors have for years tried to create one but have been unable to raise the money needed to build it. Its closure; its been a long time coming, she said. 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. "I was leaning back, my eyes half closed, and all the sudden I hear the engines go to full power," he said. All Rights Reserved , Southwest Pilots Association President Calls for Strike Vote, Iberia, TAG Airlines to Start Codeshare Agreement, Delta Air Lines Firms Order for 12 Additional A220s, Lufthansa Submits Offer to Acquire a Stake in ITA Airways, Airways Top 10 Never-built Commercial Aircraft, 12/11/1996: Oasis International Airlines Ceases Operations, Air Baltic Becomes First European Airline to Offer, Emirates Returns First Refurbished A380 to Service, FAA Issues National Ground Stop for Florida Airports. Eastern Air Lines L-1011 Tristar Airbus, on NYC-Miami flight with 177 persons aboard, crashes into Everglades on Dec 30 while on landing approach to Miami Internatl Airport; early repts indicate . She has served as cabin crew on flights from economy-class to private jets. First published on December 29, 2022 / 4:03 PM. Infantino served in Vietnam, but it was this flight, not war that brought him closest to death. 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. The 50th Anniversary of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Memorial Monument will be dedicated in a 1300 EST ceremony on December 29, 2022. After donating, please email the NADF Executive Director, Gail Dunhan so that she can send you an acknowledgement of your tax deductible donation. The cockpit crew, scrambling to identify the problem, got permission from air traffic control to circle the Everglades. If you can hear my voice, dont light a match, flight attendant Beverly Raposa called out as she regained consciousness in the darkness. Unfortunately, 101 passengers and crew perished in the accident. Why? I don't think so we have no control over our destiny.". And those survivors were in the pitch black darkness of the Everglades. 103 passengers and crew members died in the crash or shortly thereafter and 75 passengers/crew survived. The plane was crossing over the Everglades on Dec. 29, 1972, when she turned to fellow flight attendant Stephanie Stanich. Journalist - A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for aviation history, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft even if doing so demands an unorthodox itinerary. "The reports were given by experienced and trustworthy pilots and crew. Copyright - Florida Web Marketing, Inc. Nestor Suarez is the Publisher of MiamiSprings.com since 1997. 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 pilot was unnerved by what had happened and canceled the flight. "I said, 'Oh my god we crashed, we crashed.' And she knows what I went through, so you have that same bonding with one another.". Survivors and families are remembering the 101 souls who were killed 50 years ago when Eastern Flight 401 crashed into the Everglades. One survivor, certain Marquis carried him to safety, once showed up with a $1,000 check. She was dazed and disoriented but noticed a penlight flashing nearby. "She said, 'I have to find my family, but here's my sweater.' Expand All . Pieces of the shattered plane lay scattered in the muck and jet fuel stained the inky waters of the Everglades. 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. Raposa was among 75 "miracle survivors." Another 101 died. Shelley and Steve Rubin and their unborn baby boy - Sandy Shapiro December 30, 2020 . They described Renee, as they called her, as adventurous, smart, outspoken and a woman who was ahead of her time. In 2021, a memorial marker was installed in the Everglades to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the May 11, 1996, ValuJet crash. 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's certainly not a ten. It happened just west of Miami International Airport. Its the holidays. After the Tristar crashed into the Everglades, Ruiz said that Raposa, Left me laying down in a safe place, very cold and everything, but she made me as comfortable as possible. "I just remember their heavy breathing. Fourteen people suffered burns, while 17 had only minor injuries and didn't need to be hospitalized, the NTSB report said. Beverly Raposa a survior of Eastern Flight 401 29th December 1972 crash of an L-1011, tail number N310EA explains her experience "On the wreath I put, 'To our fellow brothers and sisters, in loving memory.' . And the aircraft gradually descended into the mushy swamp from 20,000 feet. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. He didn't know it, but it was Robert "Bud" Marquis, who was out frog-gigging with a friend. The granite marker, engraved with the names of the people who perished, will stand in a median near the Miami Springs Country Club for future generations to see. "They're home," Beverly said. She woke in darkness, still in her jump seat hanging to one side, choking on the acrid jet fuel fumes. Multiple Emmy award winning journalist Ted Scouten has been the familiar face at the scene of international stories that have affected South Florida since 1998. Click on contribute in the blue box in the right column of the home page. "I'll be reading names," he said, "and after each name a candle will be lit until 101 candles are lit.". She has served as cabin crew on flights from economy-class to private jets. There were 75 at the time, 20 years ago tonight. The captain, along with one of two flight crew members, two of 10 flight attendants, and 97 of 163 passengers, died; 75 . READ MORE: An Eastern plane crashed into the Everglades in 1972. DALLAS December 29, 2022, will mark a half-century since the fatal crash of Eastern Air Lines (EA) Flight 401. "I hear this voice scream out in the Everglades," he said. Beverly had gathered survivors together, seating them back to back to stay warm. 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 . That time, finances got in the way. Copies of that photo are now bound in a leather album that Eastern gave all the flight attendants of Flight 401 after the tragedy. The captain had ordered that the landing gear be lowered in preparation for landing. Raposa said that 103 airboats were scheduled to show up but that two of the airboats would not start, due to last-minute mechanical difficulties. It was like a tornado. MIAMI - Survivors and families are remembering the 101 souls who were killed 50 years ago when Eastern Flight 401 crashed into the Everglades. Eastern employees visited Infantino for a two-hour interview. Its an invasive species, Surfside candidate who lost election bid is now in jail on murder charges in Broward, Have you seen Maura Lockhart? Omar is a bilingual and bicultural journalist, covering breaking news in South Florida for the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. By the time they did, it was already too late to recover. In November 2022,Airwaysinterviewed former flight attendants Beverly Raposa and Mercy Ruiz to understand their perspectives as survivors of the crash. "I remember hitting, I woke up and I was in a sitting position water up to my chin, no clothes on, everything was stripped right off me except the rims of my socks," said Infantino. What happened with ValuJet. "It was so cold I can't describe it.". Survivors. Beverly was sitting in the rear of the plane. 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. Also developed after the crash were ground proximity warning systems, which alert pilots if an aircraft is is immediate danger of flying into the gound or an obstacle. Soon passengers and crew on those aircraft report seeing what they believe to be the ghost of the . Survivors now have a message, Venezuelan Josef Martinez opens up on move to Inter Miami, love of Doral and arepas, DeSantis wants to permanently ban COVID vaccine, mask requirements for Florida workers, Odd armored fish seen hanging from mouth of Florida heron. It was so dark she couldnt see her hands in front of her. 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. The pilot Bob Loft and the flight engineer Don Repo were two of the 101 people who perished in the air crash. She freed herself, then went to work saving others. This commemorative event in the Everglades represented one of many, which also included smaller meetings among survivors and supporters. 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 pair also described takeaways for the public around aviation safety to go along with memorial efforts for Flight 401. Who could this have been? 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. How could this have happened? 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. The name of Ronald Infantino's wife Lily is on that memorial. Survivors: 10: Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 was a controlled flight into terrain accident of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 during approach to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. . The captain was 49-year-old James Edward Reeves, who had been with Eastern Air Lines since 1956. Flight attendants Patricia and Stephanie tragically died in the crash, along with the flight crew. 50 years later, memorial dedicated to survivors, families of Eastern Flight 401 crash. It also marked the first the first jumbo jet to crash. 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. Those are the last moments Ron Infantino, 76, who now lives in The Villages in Central Florida, remembers before blacking out. The flight attendants' reports after the accident helped to change safety equipment onboard, including the use of shoulder harnesses on all jump seats, which was not the case at the time. The tragedy would never have occurred but for a single, burnt-out light bulb . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The senior flight attendant said he was dazed and unresponsive when spoken to and was not on the passenger list. Raposa would spend the next grueling hours fighting for those who survived the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401. "I don't know where she was. 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. Then came the final and fatal mistake. Mercy Ruiz, 29, also noticed something strange that night. There were 67 survivors. This message board is intended for serious discussions of the December 29th, 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401. Although not in your arms, Im always in your heart. The left wing tip hit first. After a few minor issues were resolved, the plane was cleared for a 9 p.m. departure to Miami, as Flight 401 with 176 passengers aboard. Today's story is one of tragedy, of course, but it's also one of heroism and bravery. / CBS Miami. The monument will be located on the grassy median of the 700 block of Curtis Parkway in Miami Springs, Florida, just opposite the Miami Springs Golf and Country Club driving range. One of them was Ron Infantino, an Air Force veteran in Vietnam and aviation aficianado. On another flight, a flight attendant is said to have seen Don's face on the oven door. For decades, many of the 75 survivors have reflected on ways to honor those who died in the tragedy. But what was inside was the real prize: a Kodak Instamatic camera and rolls of film. The crew had previously been encouraged to report every incident pertaining to the flight in the aircraft log books, and many sightings were recorded. Raposa explained that over many years, we worked, trying to put something together, emphasizing the development of a tribute for Flight 401. "Ah, tower this is Eastern, ah, four zero one, it looks like we're gonna have to circle, we don't have a light on our nose gear yet," the pilot told the control tower at MIA. Against the backdrop of a bright green and quiet golf course, some of the survivors accompanied by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami Springs officials mourned the dead, prayed for their souls and vowed to always remember them. 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 . In November 2022, Airways interviewed former flight attendants Beverly Raposa and Mercy Ruiz to understand their perspectives as survivors of the crash. A desperate search and rescue effort began almost immediately. Marquis would work tirelessly throughout the night and the next day rescuing people. Raposa, who now lives in Broward County, studied to become a flight attendant just steps away from the memorial site. Beverly Raposa switched seats from her regular position in the galley for a flight from New York to Miami. Less pool space. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. 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. In the cockpit: Capt. 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 know how much you miss me, and I miss you too. Ann Connell, Barry Connell, 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. Amid the planes wreckage, her cream-colored, company-issued suitcase was the only one that remained intact. Aboard were 13 crew members and 163 holiday travelers. While in the cockpit one day, preparing for the flight, another pilot heard loud knocks from under the floor beneath him. Nichole Shackleford, 53, was just 3 years old when she lost her mother, passenger Patricia Renee Shackleford, 20, in the crash. 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. Gli episodi del programma televisivo documentaristico canadese Indagini ad alta quota (Mayday) sono stati trasmessi sul network Discovery Channel Canada dal 3 settembre 2003.A marzo 2018 sono stati prodotti e trasmessi in lingua originale 156 episodi (suddivisi in 18 stagioni), inclusi cinque speciali Science of Disaster in cui sono trattati pi incidenti (stagioni 6 e 8) e tre spin-off Crash . The aircraft operating the route, a Lockheed L1011-385-1 Tristar crashed into the Florida Everglades, resulting in 101 fatalities. There was no fear, no panic, no anything. It marked the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 disaster. Theres another photo Ruiz has analyzed over the years. "It banked to the left and those engines roared to take off power and we hit. Eastern Airlines Flight 401. He wanted to look further and reportedly found a problem that could have caused a serious accident. 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. Checks can be made payable to: National Air Disaster Foundation The City of Miami Springs hosted a Beautiful Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, December 29, 2022. 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. "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. The incident occurred on September 11, 1974, killing 72 of the 82 people on board. Infantino started a commuter airline of his own, which later folded, and got married to his respiratory therapist, who also experienced heartbreak after losing her fianc in a drunk-driving accident. Infantino, then 26, awoke bobbing in the swamp, unable to move with an injured arm, chest and knee. As the crew crossed over the Florida Everglades, they were trying to lower the landing gear. Four hours after the accident, the coastguard and rescuers arrived, their efforts hampered by the difficult location and conditions. /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 . The harrowing tale of three survivors of the 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines flight 401 into the Everglades. Mysteriously, the log books started to go missing from the aircraft. . The event, which will begin at 1 p.m., is open to the public. Love aviation history? 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. 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. 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. The aircraft was a Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar traveling from New York to Miami. On this day in 1972, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashes in the Everglades. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 traveled from New York to Miami. "It was beautiful," said Infantino said of the jet. Both would die in the crash. The scene was apocalyptic. However, 75 people did survive the crash. "The crew was so preoccupied with a 50-cent life bulb, they missed the whole picture," he said. The watercraft can easily traverse the swampy conditions of the Everglades and played an integral role in the rescue efforts that followed the crash. It was all wet, but it felt good just to have something on me.". It helps me put life in perspective, you see.". The plane then veered to the left and was thrown into darkness. "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. The following is a list of survivors and victims of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. 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. With Ernest Borgnine, Gary Lockwood, Tina Chen, Kim Basinger. Pin. But now, they still have to survive in the vast darkness of the gator infested Everglades. "The tail turned over, the floor opened under me and I went down with 400 pounds of debris on me," she said. This month represents the 50th anniversary of the crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, which crashed into the Florida Everglades in December 1972. Patricia has a master's level postgraduate diploma in Human Factors in Aviation and has written about aviation since 2010. "I asked, 'Where's my wife?' I'm just blessed. Please enter valid email address to continue. Oh, Mercy, stop complaining, Ghyssels responded. The rescuers, Coast Guard members and Miami-Dade fire fighters and police officers, worked throughout the night finding survivors. The crash claimed the lives of 101 passengers and crew. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, another Eastern Airlines CFIT . See the coverage as it happened. But today, for Infantino, is about Lilly and the other lost lives. She downsized plans for the memorial so it could be completed while the remaining survivors are still alive. His knee was badly dislocated, his shin able to swivel in any direction. 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. Eventually, all of the salvaged parts were removed from aircraft, and neither Bob nor Don were ever seen again. Give or take a word, the announcement is remembered verbatim by virtually every survivor. Its just special to me that we are remembering all the people who lost their lives, Quinn said. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was on its way from New York to Miami on December 29th, 1972, with 13 crew and 163 passengers onboard. "We did something to the altitude," he said. "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. Raposa was one of 75 survivors. 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. 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. Almost immediately, airboat operators who saw the flash responded to the area. It happened 40 years ago today on a cold dark night in the Everglades, a brand new "Whisperliner" jumbo jet . Then he noticed that the pilot did a fly-by the airport. A group of survivors drafted plans for a marker, but life got in the way. 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. He said 401 needs a memorial not only for those who died but for its importance in airline safety. The Memorial is along the Curtiss Parkway median directly across from the driving range. But that turned out to be Infantinos uncle, who wasnt on the plane. I survived, she didn't. Infantino and other survivors are holding a memorial service today at 4 p.m. at the site of the Valujet Flight 592 memorial, on the Tamiami Trail, 12 miles west of Krome Avenue. "These poor people were still my responsibility. Airboats represent a certain degree of sentimental value for survivors of Flight 401. The bottom line was that the pilot and crew became so concerned about a burnt-out lightbulb that they neglected to notice the altitude dropping. Its not a 10. . Photo: Jon Proctor Collection. Miami, Florida Dec 10, 2022 (Issuewire.com) - 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.Momentarily distracted, the flight crew failed to notice as the Lockheed L-1011 slowly dropped from the sky and into the blackness of the Everglades below. But no one could hear Infantino yelling for help. "It went completely dark so I knew we were doing another go-round, not knowing what was going on," he said. Bob Loft decided to try to troubleshoot and fix the light before landing and put the plane on autopilot. 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. "I said, 'Please don't leave me here alone, I'm so cold,'" he remembers pleading with her. Dawn Quinn's grandfather was pilot Robert Loft. Beverly had gathered survivors together, seating them back to back to stay warm. READ MORE: The day when an Eastern Airlines jet crashed into the Florida Everglades. He had 8,876 flight hours, including 3,856 hours on the DC-9. 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). The crash killed 101 people, including Stanich. Ruiz was 28 years old and had been working as a flight attendant for less than three years when the plane went down. This month represents the 50th anniversary of the crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, which crashed into the Florida Everglades in December 1972. 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. It is open to the public. 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. Truth or scare? "They were incredible," says Infantino. 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. "They put me in a helicopter and I'll never forget they gave me a warm blanket," he said. Was it because we switched seats? 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