The aircraft operating the route, a Lockheed L1011-385-1 Tristar crashed into the Florida Everglades, resulting in 101 fatalities. 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. Since the flight was full, he exercised his privilege as an Eastern Airlines employee, and rode in the cockpit jumpseat. "It save me from the 400 pounds of debris that was falling on me," she said. With William Shatner, Adrienne Barbeau, Brooke Bundy, Christopher Connelly. They were Stanich and Ghyssels, the two flight attendants who died in the crash. The scene was apocalyptic. "It banked to the left and those engines roared to take off power and we hit. This is somewhere where I can come to visit her apart from her gravesite, Shackleford said. But today, for Infantino, is about Lilly and the other lost lives. The crash killed 101 people, including Stanich. 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. When youve stared death in the face just as I have, she said, you dont take things for granted anymore.. The crew had previously been encouraged to report every incident pertaining to the flight in the aircraft log books, and many sightings were recorded. She encouraged them to sing Christmas carols . His right arm was nearly severed, his left knee broken, his chest crushed. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was one of South Floridas deadliest airline disasters. 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. Shortly after, the plane crashed into the swamp. "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 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. If were a little late, its overtime.. The 76-year-old said his wife of 20 days, Lilly Infantino, died in the crash. The captain, along with one of two flight crew members, two of 10 flight attendants, and 97 of 163 passengers, died; 75 . "She yelled, 'Don't anybody light any matches in the Everglades,' which was smart because of all the jet fuel.". That also gave me an impression like the two girls were marked, Ruiz said. With Ernest Borgnine, Gary Lockwood, Tina Chen, Kim Basinger. "The NTSB, when they studied it, they said this crash was unsurvivable, yet 75 miracles came out of there.". The precious love we shared means we are never far apart,. That time, finances got in the way. "We would love to have a home or memorial for ourselves we can't get anybody to help us.". She noticed that the engines sounded different, and the aircraft jolted. . Ruiz also described the adoption of shoulder straps on jump seats as another significant safety development that followed the crash of Flight 401. On another flight, a flight attendant is said to have seen Don's face on the oven door. Survivors will unveil a memorial marker on a grassy median of Curtiss Parkway in Miami Springs, across from the country club, on Dec. 29, the anniversary of the crash. She woke in darkness, still in her jump seat hanging to one side, choking on the acrid jet fuel fumes. He heard alligators and snakes splash around him as whirring airboats and helicopters searched for survivors. 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). Survivors - Crew and Eastern Employees. The pilot Bob Loft and the flight engineer Don Repo were two of the 101 people who perished in the air crash. Give or take a word, the announcement is remembered verbatim by virtually every survivor. 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. Eastern Airlines Flight #401 (L1011 N310EA) crashed in the Everglades on December 29, 1972. According to the Aviation Safety Network, Eastern Air Lines had 163 passengers and 13 members of crew onboard, totaling 176 occupants altogether. However, she explained that it was huge and funds were just not raised for that, and we talked about maybe three to four years ago about maybe doing something smaller.. The incident occurred on September 11, 1974, killing 72 of the 82 people on board. 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. He reportedly then said, "Watch out for fire in this plane.". Flight 401 - Flight Crew Fatal Photograph. 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. ", "We're still at two thousand right?" 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. 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. "I love my profession so I overcame that part of my life. Why them two?. It all happened so quickly that he couldnt turn to check on his wife of 20 days, Lilly Infantino, who sat beside him on the flight from New York to Miami. The Story Of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. The jet carried 167 passengers to Miami from New York. 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 don't know where she was. The crash killed 101 people, including Stanich. Its closure; its been a long time coming, she said. Beverly has often wondered how she survived how anyone survived. "We now dedicate this memorial to the 101 souls who perished that night. We also informed you that much of the money was going into creating more buildings. 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. On Dec. 29, theyll unveil a memorial in Miami Springs to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Eastern crash. "The reports were given by experienced and trustworthy pilots and crew. Although 75 people survived, the accident still resulted in the deaths of 101 occupants, including Captain Robert 'Bob' Loft and Flight Engineer Donald 'Don' Repo. On duty that day was also Stephanie Stanich, Trudy Smith, Sharon Transue, Beverly Rapoza and Dorothy Warnock. The left wing tip hit first. Shelley and Steve Rubin and their unborn baby boy - Sandy Shapiro December 30, 2020 . Then came the final and fatal mistake. Its just special to me that we are remembering all the people who lost their lives, Quinn said. However, 75 people did survive the crash. 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. 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. Both pilots and the flight engineer died, along with 2 out of 10 flight attendants and 96 of the 163 passengers on board. Those are the last moments Ron Infantino, 76, who now lives in The Villages in Central Florida, remembers before blacking out. Its not a 10. . They were working all night with gear on the boots in the swamp and the mud.". Five years ago, Raposa revived the idea and got approval to place it on a plot of public land in Miami Springs. 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 crash was a result of the flight crew's failure to recognize a deactivation of the autopilot during their attempt . Flight engineer Don Repo is also said to have appeared onboard flights in a strange, supernatural manner. . 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. There were 75 at the time, 20 years ago tonight. Infantino and other survivors have for years tried to create one but have been unable to raise the money needed to build it. All rights reserved. A ball of fire erupted in the cabin and the aircraft cartwheeled and broke into pieces. Her mothers sister, Sharon Shackleford, 73, and best friend, Angel Sears, 70, were also in attendance. I reach over and all the sudden my fingers go inside of my bicep," he said. The flight had been uneventful until the Lockheed L-1011 jet was making its approach to MIA. "It went completely dark so I knew we were doing another go-round, not knowing what was going on," he said. North Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) December 7, 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 York to . The plane plunged into the Everglades after taking off from the Miami airport. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was one of South Florida's deadliest airline disasters. 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. And he said the disaster taught him something about life. The plane actually spun in a circle, the floor dropped and I woke up in the water," he recalled. 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. Two days into recovery his dad came into his hospital room. The Memorial is located just South and West of the new Miami Springs sign that was erected on the Curtiss Parkway median. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 - Crash Investigation, Findings and Passenger List . Dozens of people were airlifted to local hospitals from the scene. ", But he was worried about Lilly. The flight was largely uneventful, but, on approach to Miami, the flight crew had become fixated on a faulty indication in the cockpit. Transue, beverly Rapoza and Dorothy Warnock supernatural manner on September 11, 1974 killing. Love to have a home or memorial for ourselves we ca n't get anybody to help.... 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