Her message on life: Never take anything for granted. Nichole Shackleford, 53, was just 3 years old when she lost her mother, passenger Patricia Renee Shackleford, 20, in the crash. Donations are still being accepted no matter what amount. Survivors. The crew had previously been encouraged to report every incident pertaining to the flight in the aircraft log books, and many sightings were recorded. Mercedes was thrown from the aircraft, still trapped in her jump seat with injuries to her head and a broken pelvis. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Beverly also injured her back and cut her foot but managed to crawl out of the swamp. 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 wreckage of Eastern Air Lines flight 401 lies in the Florida Everglades after the crash. The plane actually spun in a circle, the floor dropped and I woke up in the water," he recalled. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401: 28 May 2008 () On 29 December 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 is on a flight to Miami International Airport. Earlier this year, Simple Flying took a look at the eight most intriguing examples. "They were incredible," says Infantino. He didn't know it, but it was Robert "Bud" Marquis, who was out frog-gigging with a friend. Eastern Airlines eventually ceased operations early in 1991. There were 67 survivors. Eastern Airlines Flight 401. Contact: brent@airwaysmag.com, 2022 Airways Publishing, LLC. "They'll never be forgotten.". / CBS Miami. Proudly serving the community since 1997. said Stockstill. We also informed you that much of the money was going into creating more buildings. This is somewhere where I can come to visit her apart from her gravesite, Shackleford said. Both would die in the crash. He was offered the job. She and Marquis would be remembered as two of the heroes from that night. 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. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. The disaster took the lives The sound, a huge fireball that went through the cabin," she recalled. "We don't have a home of our own to call our own, 401 doesn't," he said. Amid the confusion, the distracted crew didnt notice the auto pilot button was switched off. Infantino and three of the flight attendants who survived the crash spoke to NBC Miami as the 39th anniversary of the flight approached. The tragedy was also the 2nd deadliest plane crash in US history at the time, although, today, it now ranks in 16th place. A look at some of the strange tales that emerged after the accident. Featured Image: Eastern Airlines Lockheed L1011 N310EA, the airframe involved in flight 401. She recalls the terrifying moments afterward. "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. Pieces of the aircraft scattered across the sawgrass. The event, which will begin at 1 p.m., is open to the public. Survivors - Crew and Eastern Employees. She came across a woman who found an 11-month-old baby as she scouted the wreckage for her son. The latest local, regional and national news events are presented by the Local 10 News Team along with updated sports, weather and traffic. 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. "Survivors" Southern . Airboats represent a certain degree of sentimental value for survivors of Flight 401. From there a series of seemingly small mistakes and oversights led to the epic crash. Almost 40 years ago, Eastern Airlines flight 401 crashed. 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. Beverly has often wondered how she survived how anyone survived. Dozens of people were airlifted to local hospitals from the scene. The 50th Anniversary of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 Memorial Monument will be dedicated in a 1300 EST ceremony on December 29, 2022. The City of Miami Springs hosted a Beautiful Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, December 29, 2022. With Ernest Borgnine, Gary Lockwood, Tina Chen, Kim Basinger. The harrowing tale of three survivors of the 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines flight 401 into the Everglades. The plane was crossing over the Everglades on Dec. 29, 1972, when she turned to fellow flight attendant Stephanie Stanich. Visit miamiherald.com. In the hospital he learned just how bad off he was. National Transportation Safety Board report, Broward Motorcycle Deputy Hospitalized After Reported Hit-and-Run, Russian Founder of Cryptocurrency Firm Arrested in Miami, 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. "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. In November 2022,Airwaysinterviewed former flight attendants Beverly Raposa and Mercy Ruiz to understand their perspectives as survivors of the crash. She went on to praise the efforts of Raposa, who sang Christmas carols to maintain morale among survivors as they waited for rescue. Shortly after, the plane crashed into the swamp. But what was inside was the real prize: a Kodak Instamatic camera and rolls of film. "I'm no doctor. Was it because we switched seats? Fortunately, there were 75 survivors during that horrible tragedy of late 1972. That also gave me an impression like the two girls were marked, Ruiz said. Truth or scare? Local 10: Eastern Flight 401: A survivor's story; Flamingo Magazine: Flight 401 Down in the Glades; Read the Story! 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. The former flight attendants described one gathering in the Everglades where airboats from around Florida turned up to help commemorate crash victims. He did not survive, but his memory lives on. 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. After donating, please email the NADF Executive Director, Gail Dunhan so that she can send you an acknowledgement of your tax deductible donation. "The priest came over and asked me what my religion was," he remembers. It was a huge fireball. Mercy Ruiz, 29, also noticed something strange that night. The crash spawned a number of books, films and other media, along with legends of ghost signtings involving crew members who were killed. READ MORE: Eastern Flight 401 introduced new safety measures and books, movies and ghost stories. 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. Tomorrow is not a given, she said. And because it was pitch dark there were no visual cues outside to tell them they were about to hit the swamp. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He couldn't move. Patricia commented on the fact that it was the holiday season and maybe they'd earn some overtime. . On another day, a crew was in the cockpit of an aircraft when they were said to have seen Don sitting with 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 . "It went completely dark so I knew we were doing another go-round, not knowing what was going on," he said. There were 10 flight attendants in the main cabin serving 163 passengers. She has served as cabin crew on flights from economy-class to private jets. Robert Loft, 55; First Officer Albert Stockstill, 39, and Second Officer Donald Repo, 51, all of Miami-Dade. The senior flight attendant said he was dazed and unresponsive when spoken to and was not on the passenger list. 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. "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. Omar is a bilingual and bicultural journalist, covering breaking news in South Florida for the Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. 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. I know how much you miss me, and I miss you too. A well-known fatal accident recounted from surviving cabin crew. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Raposa, who now lives in Broward County, studied to become a flight attendant just steps away from the memorial site. Fourteen people suffered burns, while 17 had only minor injuries and didn't need to be hospitalized, the NTSB report said. From this accident, crew resource management was brought into pilot and cabin crew training to improve communication onboard. one of the deadliest plane crashes in South Floridas history, Were down. Flight 401 crashed in Miami 50 years ago. "I hear this voice scream out in the Everglades," he said. Were gonna wake up.. Now the names are there and they will never be forgotten, Ruiz said. Its not a 10. . 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 plane plunged into the Everglades after taking off from the Miami airport. They were exhausted. The jet carried 167 passengers to Miami from New York. According to George Rodez who will be hosting a special event at the History Miami Museum, . 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 . "I'm one person in the midst of all this," Marquis told NBC News back in 2007. There has not been one day in the last 50 years that they havent been in my heart and that I havent wanted to make sure that I kept my promise to them. People were screaming, and partially clothed dead bodies were face down in the water. In one of South Florida's worst air disasters, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from New York's JFK Airport to Miami crashed on Dec. 29, 1972, in the Everglades after the crew became distracted by a burned out landing-gear light. Writer - Patricia joins Simple Flying with over 20 years of experience in aviation. 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. The couple dated for a few years before getting married in December 1972. Just before the plane hit, First Officer Albert Stockstill noticed the low altitude and told Loft about it. They had not realized that the autopilot was disconnected, which ultimately caused the plane to lose altitude and crash. 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. 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 . Eastern Flight 401: A survivor's story. The Story Of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, took a look at the eight most intriguing examples. On returning to the galley, another flight attendant saw an engineer fixing the oven. 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. Hjs wife was not with him. The crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 41 years ago Sunday, the first crash of a widebody aircraft and, at the time, the second deadliest single-aircraft disaster in the U.S., led to wide-ranging changes in on board safety that continue to positively affect air travel today. 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. Off-topic, inappropriate or anonymous posts may be removed. "It banked to the left and those engines roared to take off power and we hit. "They put me in a helicopter and I'll never forget they gave me a warm blanket," he said. - Flight Safety Foundation. The flight crew had not realized that the autopilot had been accidentally switched off and the aircraft was descending. and they said, 'I'm sorry, sir, we don't know.'". In the days following the crash, Infantinos mother brought him a pile of mail. On Dec. 29, theyll unveil a memorial in Miami Springs to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Eastern crash. Dedication of a Memorial Monument for the 50th Anniversary of Eastern Flight 401. Beverly Raposa was a bubbly, 25-year-old flight attendant onboard Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from New York to Miami when the plane slammed into the Everglades at 225 miles per hour near midnight . "I love my profession so I overcame that part of my life. Beverly Raposa a survior of Eastern Flight 401 29th December 1972 crash of an L-1011, tail number N310EA explains her experience 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. We just hit,' she said. Infantino and the flight attendants will meet with airline experts and the public to tell them never to become complacent. Less pool space. 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. ", But he was worried about Lilly. 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). 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. Raposa said she has flown for over 20 years for business, saying she sleeps like a baby every time she flies. As you might expect, she later picked from some photos that Don was the engineer she had seen. But now, they still have to survive in the vast darkness of the gator infested Everglades. McQuigg and Raposa went on to continue flying, with McQuigg still working in the profession. There were 75 survivors, including a 23-year-old flight . 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. If you have a story you'd like to share with the Miami Springs audience or would like to advertise on MiamiSprings.com, please contact Mr. Suarez at: You have entered an incorrect email address! He said 401 needs a memorial not only for those who died but for its importance in airline safety. 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. 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. On another flight, a flight attendant is said to have seen Don's face on the oven door. The aircraft was a five-year-old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 registered as N8984E. It's certainly not a ten. Flight attendants Patricia and Stephanie tragically died in the crash, along with the flight crew. Raposa was one of 75 survivors. Flight 401 - Flight Crew Fatal Photograph. Josef El Rey Martinez was officially introduced as the newest member of Inter Miami on Wednesday morning, but the Venezuelan forward and former MLS MVP is hardly a newcomer to South Florida. Patricia has a master's level postgraduate diploma in Human Factors in Aviation and has written about aviation since 2010. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. The captain was 49-year-old James Edward Reeves, who had been with Eastern Air Lines since 1956. 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. She said her mom had moved to Connecticut and was coming home to surprise her family before New Years. He warned them of a faulty electrical circuit, which was then found and replaced. "You will never be forgotten. The following is a list of survivors and victims of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Miami International Airport. Its a bad dream. The flight path of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 in its final moments. The Douglas DC-9-31 carried 78 passengers and four crew members. Thirteen seconds past 11:42 p.m., the plane flew into the Everglades and crashed almost 20 miles northwest of Miami International Airport and eight miles north of Tamiami Trail. "I just remember their heavy breathing. And those survivors were in the pitch black darkness of the Everglades. Then he noticed that the pilot did a fly-by the airport. The official cause of the crash was pilot error, the crew being distracted by a faulty nose gear indicator . 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