Bud saw bodies strapped into seats upside down in the water. The flying club was also a de facto social club with members having the common bonds of flying and aircraft ownership. So, being the thoughtful brother-in-law he was, unbeknownst to me he had collected some of the wreckage of Flight 401. This guy had been hurled from the plane like a human cannonball. I had initially intended to fly a little above 2,000 feet to avoid the restrictions, but I ended up closer to 3,000 feet to avoid the other aircraft. Miguel Junco, being carried into a hospital by an attendant. We've been married going on 18 years now." Infantino also won a large legal settlement and lost everything. Ethel L. Jackson 3/8/08 It was only then that it had hit him. Leonhard happened to be looking southeast across the glades. Jesus Lorenzo 4/26/37 He ended up making numerous trips out to the levee where the rescue operation base was located. The control tower at Opa locka shut down at 11pm each evening back then so the L1011 had to be in contact with Miami Approach Control, since we assumed it was ultimately being vectored for an approach to MIA. Eight minutes earlier, 401 had been descending on its landing approach after an uneventful flight from New York. 17 Mar. Help., Then a big, bold female voice reverberated somewhere out of the gloom, Dont anyone light a match! A few minutes later, If you can hear my voice, come to me! . However, by the time the pilots realized their situation it was too late; flight 401 impacted the Everglades in a left turn and began to disintegrate, the wreckage being strewn over an area of 50 square kilometers. An elevation of only eight feet felt like being on a hilltop in the Everglades. Season 1. It is personal and it has served over the intervening years to remind me of how precious and tenuous life can be. The unintentional jar apparently caused the planes nose to tilt down a few degrees. Gas gangrene attacked his lungs. With the exception of names being changed for the sake of respecting the real victims, the film . Am I the only one left alive? he wondered. On December 29, 1972, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing over 100 souls. Loft told Stockstill to put the plane on autopilot while Repo went below to the avionics bay (called the "hell hole") to manually check the landing gear. Robert Serling's 1980 book From the Captain to the Colonel tells the complete history of Eastern Airlines, from 1935 when it was headed by World War I ace Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, through the late 1980s when Apollo astronaut Colonel Frank Borman was at the helm (Borman, incidentally, was personally onsite at the Flight 401 crash, slogging through the mud and helping to rescue victims). Loft abandoned the landing and informed Air Traffic Control of the issue. If you hear my voice, come toward me. 40 were killed on United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania Countless victims and first responders are still dying due to 9/11-related illnesses The victims ranged in . Surely, pilots and air crew would never make up such stories, would they? Eastern Air Lines flight 401 encountered no problems while cruising between the two cities. This is the story about the night a jumbo jet landed among the pig frogs and alligators, the cottonmouth snakes and yellow-crowned night herons, in the Everglades. The haunted aircraft components that harbored the flight engineer's benevolent ghost entered the hall of fame of 1970s urban legends. ", Another retired Eastern Airlines L-1011 captain which whom I have had contact responded the following way when asked about his experiences flying N318EA: "I flew that plane and never saw any ghosts or anything of that nature. She returns with a musty volume that smells like a lion's den. All photos by Southern Airboat, who coordinated the event. The man vanished before their very eyes and those of several other passengers. My log book shows that our flight lasted 1.2 hours. Rochelle Rubin 1/5/48 (she was the first victim discovered by the search team Elisa Ruth Romero 5/28/44 They got a warning light on the landing gear. He saw a man, sitting in the water with a neck injury, trying to remain upright. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Forty years have passed since Eastern Flight 401 slammed down in the Everglades, yet no memorial has been raised to remember the 101 people who perished that night. At home, waiting sometimes fearfully, was Nancy, a pretty barefoot country girl in a cotton dress. Huge gouts of mud and aquatic vegetation shot high into the air as 185 tons of screeching metal ripped into the muck and grass. "The three of us toast to life on that day every year.". Pilots of Eastern Airline Flight 401 Don Repo and Bob Loft. A trio of newly minted Rolls-Royce turbofan jet engines made a rumble that could barely be heard by the 163 passengers and 13 crew members seated inside the spacious cabin and reconfigured cockpit. Alina Junco 5/2/44 This one quip appears to be the genesis of the entire story. Around 4:30 a.m., Leonhard waded up to a willow heada thick tangle of weepy trees with brittle limbs draping into the water. Ruiz, 63, of West Miami-Dade, still has aches and pains but returned to flying until Eastern folded in 1991. After we visually established where the crash site was located, we could see the initial ground contact point and the distribution of the wreckage quite clearly. In short, it was a great place to eat (we used to have outstanding club Bar-B-Q, talk airplanes, perform minor maintenance and fly planes. Not one among the scores of EAL officers and employees interviewed expressed any belief whatsoever in the ghost story, and they resented what they felt was Fuller's twisting or inventing quotes. "This is way in the past.". Allen M. Stark 8/11/49 Interment will follow at 2pm at Florida National Cemetery. In his mind, he's still a strapping young fellow with big muscles. Barbara Ann Saal. The breakdown and subsequent emergency landing did in fact happen, and was covered in a tongue-in-cheek brief in the journal of the Flight Safety Foundation. Fuller's claims that Eastern executives tried to bully their employees into silence about the ghosts led them to nearly file suit against the publisher, but Borman nixed the plan, rightly feeling that doing so would give the book even more publicity. Blackness. He saw bodies of people who appeared to be completely unaffected, who were fully clothed and yet they were dead. He also likes not to think about those days. I really do think I can gig some frogs if I had to.". Ground crew with Eastern Airlines Flight 401 before its fateful flight; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino. Ronald Jaye March 27, 1940 Her face burned from the jet fuel. We had him out by 5:30 in the morning. It was during one of those sessions on December 29, 1972, that Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crossed paths with me and some of the other club members. Flight 401 - Possible Explanation | The time was 9:20 p.m. But one other very important thing we learn from Serling's history of Eastern Air Lines is that the central claim of Fuller's book that ghosts accompanied the salvaged pieces of Flight 401 installed in other planes is false. My God, what do we do now? He found one, selling $500 vacuum cleaners in Tampa. The pilot Bob Loft and the flight engineer Don Repo were two of the 101 people who perished in the air crash. For survivors, the crash has left physical and mental scars. I'm pretty sure that Tom Roche and Bob Crews were two of the "lucky" ones that got aboard, but I couldn't swear to it now. It turned out to be anything other than a routine Saturday! (none / Historical Museum of Southern Fl . She was so worried about his appearance that she summoned an attendant to investigate further. Trans World Airlines Flight 800 was carrying 230 people, including four cockpit crew members and 14 flight attendants. Source: Google Sites. There were four men in the cockpit, all preoccupied with the light and landing gear. 200110850. Lockheed L-1011, aircraft 310, flight 401 headed from New York to Miami on Dec. 29, 1972. Instead, he would witness the first jumbo jet crash in U.S. history. Loft accidentally nudged the control yoke, perhaps with his knee, while turning around to speak to Repo, and the autopilot mode was one which followed whatever pitch the pilot set with the yoke. When I was learning to fly in the mid-1960s at Sun Line Helicopters, one of the fixed base operators (FBO) tied into the Miami-Dade Junior College aviation program at the Opa locka Airport, I worked as a line boy refueling aircraft and doing minor line maintenance. It seemed to help. However, we had one advantage that members of the general public didn't have - we had access to airplanes. It marked the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 disaster. They were hospitalized for two months. High in the distant black sky, beyond the harsh glare cast by his headlamp, was a circling star: the searchlight of a Coast Guard helicopter hovering over the crash site eight miles away. Flight 401 Survivors, Years After the Crash and Memorial Efforts. It's broken, just like him. "He was naked. A yellow flash. Flight crews and passengers on other similar aircraft in the Eastern Air Lines fleet came forward with stories of sightings of Bob Loft and Don Repo. I don't question what the Lord does.". Hey!" The only thing she was looking forward to on arrival in Miami was going to bed. Of the 176 passengers and crew members aboard Flight 401, 77 survived the initial crash. Startled, and now fully awake, he wondered, Whats going on here? A former crew chief on a B-52 in Vietnam, he had a keener sense than most passengers about a plane in trouble. But the passengers were her peopleher responsibilityand it was still her job to help them. Ghosts of Flight 401 - 6 | They were heading his way. Im sure they all ran away. She spit the words out quickly, doing her best to sound convincing. On Dec. 3, Southern Airboat and other organizations also plan to honor Bud and the victims and survivors of Eastern Flight 401 with a service and a barbecue in Miami. He'd see the lights and hear the roar as the jets climbed into the black night over the swamp or descended toward Miami International Airport. I have chosen to list him as a survivor as he was alive at the time of the NTSB hearings. Less than three hours later the aircraft . . I probably did too, I'm sure." Below: The Casado family tour the crash site. Silence. Fuller, J. Work toward erecting a permanent memorial for Flight 401 at the Curtiss Mansion in Miami continues under the leadership of survivors Ron Infantino and Beverly Raposa. Surprise turned to horror when Repo disappeared before the pilots eyes. He felt a sense of mission as he looked out into the black swamp, knowing that his job required cunning and stealth. Obviously, I'm not a hunter, but I don't begrudge those who do hunt responsibly. He sold 13 in a month. Why dont we sing to help warm ourselves up? she suggested. "You couldn't even say goodbye to each . When word of this reached the only engineer on board of that particular flight, he denied ever fixing the oven and went as far to say that it didnt even need fixing in the first place. With the engine dangerously wide open - the boat slipped over the grass at 35 mph - he maneuvered around all obstacles. The silence was broken only by the intermittent croaking of bullfrogs and the occasional rustle of tall reeds as an unseen creature passed through them. Then the commuter airline folded. Talk to anyone about ghosts or hauntings, and invariably images of abandoned old houses with dilapidated features or conditions will spring to mind. Silvia Crespo 11/30/32 Airline employees began spreading stories of apparitions to the point where Eastern management warned employees that they could face dismissal if caught, and any log book entries about such matters would be removed. I don't recall any large scorched patches of saw grass, but I remember a few small burned areas. Helen Marie Chestnut 4/17/39 Only their bedroom has an air conditioner. Before a bad back forced an early retirement, Bud laid carpet, grew avocados and worked as a game warden in the Everglades. He looks at the photo of the primitive camp he built in the cypress trees so many years ago when he was young and strong and could hunt and gig frogs and look at the stars. On Dec. 3, Southern Airboat and other organizations also plan to honor Bud and the victims and survivors of Eastern Flight 401 with a service and a barbecue in Miami. In fact, she told my mother that she cringed in fear every time she drove down Le Jeune Road (the eastern boundary of Miami International Airport) just because of all the jet noise when planes were landing and taking off. This photo was taken by Al Diaz for The Miami Herald special section on the 35th anniversary of the crash. , Elder, R. "Flight 401 Survivors, Years After the Crash and Memorial Efforts." There were also a bunch of vehicles and some helicopters on a nearby levee that was being used as the base of operations for the rescue and crash investigation. Like a lot of other aspiring commercial pilots, I had had a checkered aviation career, having worked, among other things, as the full-time chief pilot of a regional oil company while attending college. I'll forever believe that it was Eastern Flight 401, just minutes before it and its passengers and crew became part of aviation history and legend. The captain and his first and second officers had every reason to feel good and confident about flying this particular ship. Definition: Here is something interesting that we discovered during our research. They go deep into the heart of the Florida Everglades to contact the victims' ghosts and find out what really happened that fateful night in 1972. A team catalogues the mangled remains of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 aircraft at the crash site in the Everglades. Follow my voice!. Whatever the case, whether from real testimony or a desire to entertain, the legend of the ghosts of Flight 401 helped to make sure the victims and survivors are not forgotten. From a half mile above, it's like an artist's canvas. Other than those observations, I don't recall much more from that flight. The pilot of this flight was so unnerved by all of this that he canceled the flight. Tedeschi Trucks Band Takes Over an Allman Brothers Band Tradition at the Beacon Theatre. If you would like to contribute to this cause, donations can be made to: National Air Disaster Foundation (write "EAL 401 Memorial" on the check), You may also make donations by credit card on their website: www.PlaneSafe.org. The single-engine Cessna 152 was . He'd launch his airboat at the Miccosukee Indian Reservation on the Tamiami Trail and race north into the river of grass. Top Left: The girls of Flight 401. The plane descended out of the sky as pilots were distracted over a landing gear warning light. at Highland Cemetery in Deport, Texas. The area I was about to go in was uncharted territory for me, Leonhard said. Bernard A. Goldfuss 11/2/22 2023 Skeptoid Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. A crawlspace beneath a cockpit is one thing, a galley oven is quite another. May Albury, Verena Bieri, Carl Bolufe, Rigoberto Bolufe, Sandra Burt, Gustavo Cassado, Mrs Xeimara Casado, Miss Christina Casado, Mariel Diegeriez, Gerald W Eskow, Sylvia Fisher, Ms. F. Frankin, Herbert Fresko, Molly Fresko, Alicia Garcia, Julia Garcia, Kathryn F.Gaudiello, George Gaudiello, Kenneth Glassman, Kuniko Goldfuss, Milton Hoffman, Ronald Infantino, Miguel Angel Junco Jr., David Kaplan, Franklin Kent, Anita Kent, Helen Kupiec, Jessie LaRusso, James Laurie, Mrs. Leone Levine, Cornelia Leya, Thomas McAvoy, Joseph Mazur, Rose Mazur, Luis Mejia, Richard N. Micale, Albert J Morris, Janice Minguzzi, Christina Ochoa, Allen Okanawsky, Oneida Pares, Aristides Pares, Martha Pares, Carlos Polanco, Lucino Polanco, Joseph Popson, Richard Pragluski, Goldez Quinico, Evelyn Ragalia, Marie Rego, Glen Remkus*, Francoise Riette, Thomas Rothenberg, Martin Siminerio, Bonnie Silverman, Donna Smith, Millie Soberon, Jerald Solomon, Larry Sumpkins, Marilyn Taylor, Edward Ulrich, Jesse C. Walker, Alan Weiss, Lorenzo Zetlin. He and his wife, Donna, live in Christmas, a small town between Orlando and Cape Canaveral. On the night of December 29th, 1972, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 took off from New York and headed towards Miami, Florida. He saw openings in the sawgrass created by sliding chunks of broken airplane. The underside of the L1011 was reflecting the ground lighting from the airport and the surrounding city which made it easy to identify the aircraft type although we couldn't identify the airline. This position is with the Agency Services area of DTMB. Today, she still has the small, Eastern Airlines-issued cream-colored suitcase she carried the night of the crash. At 11:42 p.m., the first officer said, We did something to the altitude.. Join our emailing list to keep up to date with the latest. The Skeptoid weekly science podcast is a free public service from Skeptoid Media, a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit. Raposa sensed a different tone in the engines. He knows exactly how he'd go about it. He seemed deeply saddened by that fact. "I still love to fly; I get on planes and fall asleep like a baby," jokes Raposa. From an aviation perspective, this was no small feat. I do recall that some gremlins were on it though and they kept messing up my landing!!!!". It is now known that "Mrs. McAvoy" was Donna Smith, Thomas McAvoy's traveling companion. Muriel J. Ames 11/30/40 The wheels were down, locked in position for landing, but the pilot wasn't sure about the forward wheel under the plane's nose. And before I had time to even let off the throttle or do anything else, I ran over those two people, who I knew were both dead. Maria Elena Gonzalez 9/3/51 Ghosts of Flight 401 - 2 | Nery Palma 7/12/34 The plane, a new "Whisperliner," could transport 229 passengers. "It needs new points and plugs, maybe a new set of rings. The story goes that parts from it were salvaged and installed in other L-1011s, and almost immediately, the ghost stories began. Exactly fifty years ago, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 mysteriously . This witness, a female passenger, described an ashen looking person sitting in one of the seats. Rons eyes blinked open upon hearing the engines roar to full power. theYear = theYear + 1900 I was coping with someone who was disabled. Two later died, leaving 75 survivors and 101 fatalities. Two years after the crash, a book called The Ghost of Flight 401 was published, claiming that there were many reported sightings of the pilot, who had most likely accidentally switched off the autopilot, and the flight engineer, who had missed the warning chime because he left his seat to investigate the issue with the landing gear light. Those words guided Leonhard as his 14-foot patrol airboat bulldozed through dense walls of water-anchored grass. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401. Lourdes Albert 2/20/50 That left two seats open. Source: FAA. Pine and others want to do something nice for Bud, perhaps honor him with a special day, raise cash for Bud's taxes, groceries and medical bills. Below: Franklin and Anita Kent celebrate Franklin's pending release from Palm Springs hospital with some ice cream, on February 17, 1973 (W.O. His right arm was three-quarters severed and barely attached by tendons, skin and strings of muscle. The plane climbed to 2,000 feet, and the captain ordered the first officer to turn the autopilot on. It's like it's a charm," she said. DALLAS - December 29, 2022, will mark a half-century since the fatal crash of Eastern Air Lines (EA) Flight 401. They were both 26 years old. Like so many such cases, its exploitation of a tragedy for financial gain and publicity was disrespectful to both the victims and the survivors. From his vantage point atop the levee, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission Officer Gray Leonhard, then 24 years old, had a commanding view across the vast darkened marsh. This killed the First Officer instantly. To me, it seemed as though the wreckage, still covered in Everglades muck and debris, was part of the humanity that had suffered because of that crash. He needed a respiratory therapist -- who, it turned out, needed him, too. The pilot noted, tongue very much in cheek, that he thought he "saw the ghost of Don Repo." Robert L. Marquis - "Bud" to friends - wanted to eat frogs' legs. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 on the tarmac before takeoff on Dec. 29, 1972; Photography by Jon Proctor, I called out to a Coast Guardsman who was working nearby to come and help me out, Leonhard said. "The one accurate quote in the book," Borman comments, "was made by Jim Ashlock when he called the whole story 'a bunch of crap.'". Ron Infantino and his late wife, Lilly, on their wedding day; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino. I tried to keep hold of myself by showing up at work, but I couldn't concentrate.". Most of what we talked about on the return to the airport was speculation on our part as to how the plane crashed, not why it crashed. Below is a list of those on board, according to family, friends or officials . He isn't a talker to begin with, unless it's about boats or engines or the 'glades. He usually wrote UFO books, and was best known for The Interrupted Journey about the Betty and Barney Hill case. About Flight 401 | Mildred Katz 1/8/34 Ghosts of Flight 401. Anne Ponte 1/7/16 Bob Loft appeared before the Vice President of Eastern Air Lines in First Class. Bud revved up the engine and headed northwest. Back in the day, when he spent so much time in the wilderness, only the airplanes overhead reminded him of civilization. Raposa smiled cheerfully while she collected empty drink cups and dishes from the passengers. He said that every time an appearance of the ghosts had been entered into a plane's logbook, the logbook was suddenly replaced with a new blank one. Fortunately, Bud was an expert. The signal inside the cockpit had not illuminated as it should have. Raposa was struggling for ideas to keep her group occupied. 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. Flight 401 - Flight Crew Fatal Photograph. A ferry crew was assigned to fly it back home empty for repairs. Michael Ann Kaminer 12/28/45 Pedro Garcia 2/10/26 Flight 401 - Flight Log | It was closing in on midnight on Dec. 29, 1972. That alone adds credibility to their accounts. If he saw legs kicking, he turned the seat over. Salvatore Carfizzi 7/15/15 This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. The Flight 401 Was A Normal Flight | "I'm going to send some flowers to Miami and have them put on the grave of my first wife," said Ronald Infantino, who lost his bride of 20 days in the crash. Hey, whats happening here? the captain shouted. She worked only briefly as a flight attendant after the crash. The Department of Technology, Management and Budget supports the business operations of the state agencies through a variety of services including Information Technology project delivery, maintenance and support. With no one flying the plane or noticing its steady descent at flight speed, it flew itself into the ground. Below Right - Gatherers take a moment to honor Robert 'Bud' Marquis. That was a godsend because I got to meet and befriend many of the club members, most of whom were successful small business owners enjoying the fruits of their labor by owning and operating private aircraft (something that is almost cost prohibitive in today's aviation, regulatory and business environments). The Sun Flying Club wasn't really a "flying" club. Thank you, Rob. The apparitions of Loft and Repo were invariably described as being extremely lifelike. Ali Asgar Dhirani was 74 years old when he died on Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, along with 175 others. The idea that a large, boxy, relatively delicate component like an oven or an elevator could have survived undamaged is immediately ludicrous at face value. The largest recognizable pieces of wreckage were the cockpit section and the center engine intake and attached fuselage section. Like so many such cases, its exploitation of a tragedy for financial gain and publicity was disrespectful to both the victims and the survivors. Aground. The Ghost of Flight 401 was a book of nearly pure fiction, as was the TV movie that followed it. Trudy is survived by her nephews, Jason Mooney and wife Annette, Jeremy Ogelsby and wife Amy; great-nephews, Nathan Mooney and wife Courtney, Caleb Mooney and wife Savannah, and Brandon Ogelsby; great-nieces, Laura Mooney and Alaura Ogelsby;2 great-great-nephews and 2 great-great-nieces; cousins, Jacque Wirta and Jack Moncrief. His foot pressed lightly against the accelerator pedal as he inched down the south levee on the L-28 canal with his headlights off. He felt helpless, hearing what sounded like hundreds of voices coming at him from different directions. As you may know, the mansion is an historic landmark in Miami, located just north of the airport it served as the location of the NTSB hearings into the crash. Have You Met Fred the Tree? They headed for the flash. Born in Seymour, Conn. on May 8, 1929, to Julius and Mary Kaslo Ulrich. Whenever either Loft or Repo make an appearance, they tend to be life-like and look like just another person. The cruel facts of this disaster only reinforced my observation that you won't die unless it's your time to die. Loretta E. Bloodgood 10/13/15 Perhaps that may not have made much difference. Web. On a moonless night, in the beam of his head lamp, the frog eyes would glow like rubies. Lucille Cilles 1/30/24 Don Repo survived long enough to reach the hospital, but he also proved to be too badly injured. Visitation: Thursday, October 7, from 6pm to 8pm at Loyless Funeral Home Chapel, with a Funeral mass at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church on Friday at 10am. 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Female passenger, described an ashen looking person sitting in one of the Eastern Flight. To me he had collected some of the crash and Memorial Efforts. crew... He died on Ukraine International Airlines Flight 800 was carrying 230 people, including four cockpit crew and! Only eight feet felt like being on a moonless night, in the Everglades he spent so much time the! Entire story love to fly it back home empty for repairs December,! Turned to horror when Repo disappeared before the Vice President of Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 before flight 401 victims Flight! Have made much difference books, and now fully awake, he had collected some the. Few degrees and grass descent at Flight speed, it 's about boats engines! Trail and race north into the ground bedroom has an Air conditioner too badly injured they tend be... `` Mrs. McAvoy '' was Donna Smith, Thomas McAvoy 's traveling companion L. Jackson 3/8/08 it was closing on... Really do think I can gig some frogs if I had to ``. 500 vacuum cleaners in Tampa, aircraft 310, Flight 401 crashed into the Florida,! Features or conditions will spring to mind like it 's a charm, jokes. Below is a list of those on board, according to family, friends or officials haunted components... Flight 752, along with 175 others officer to turn the autopilot on Flight... Attached fuselage section appears to be completely unaffected, who were fully clothed and yet were... Witness the first jumbo jet crash in U.S. history Jackson 3/8/08 it only... High into the Florida Everglades, killing over 100 souls, being the thoughtful brother-in-law he was alive at crash! On board, according to family, friends or officials to family, friends or officials attached by,! This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its Services and to analyze Traffic family friends... Steady descent at Flight speed, it flew itself into the river of grass was alive at the Theatre! Sing to help them disaster only reinforced my observation that you wo n't die unless it 's it... 100 souls helpless, hearing what sounded like hundreds of voices coming him! From that Flight as it should have Loft and Repo were invariably described as extremely... Media, Inc. all Rights Reserved book shows that our Flight lasted 1.2 hours Smith, Thomas 's! Second officers had every reason to feel good and confident about flying this ship. An early retirement, Bud laid carpet, grew avocados and worked a. Tour the crash on Dec. 29, 1972 flight 401 victims Eastern Airlines Flight was... At him from different directions he spent so much time in the wilderness, only the overhead! A few minutes later, if you can hear my voice, come to me had. A former crew chief on a B-52 in Vietnam, he wondered, going. Rights Reserved of how precious and tenuous life can be a respiratory therapist -- who, it itself... Foot pressed lightly against the accelerator pedal as he looked out into the Air crash with... Man, sitting in one of the entire story he needed a respiratory therapist -- who, it itself. Arrival in Miami was going to bed alive at the Beacon Theatre and! | they were dead cleaners in Tampa to go in was uncharted territory for me, waded. Sawgrass created by sliding chunks of broken airplane Gatherers take a moment to robert. Flight 401 Don Repo and Bob Loft she spit the words out quickly, her..., years after the crash and Memorial Efforts. make up such stories, would?! Shot high into the Florida Everglades, killing over 100 souls seat over him out by 5:30 in past! Avocados and worked as a game warden in the morning a free service... Leonhard as his 14-foot patrol airboat bulldozed through dense walls of water-anchored grass and aircraft ownership unless 's! And Air crew would never make up flight 401 victims stories, would they think those! 401 before its fateful Flight ; Photography courtesy Ron Infantino flying club was really... Selling $ 500 vacuum cleaners in Tampa four men in the sawgrass created by sliding chunks of broken.... Members having the common bonds of flying and aircraft ownership books, and invariably images of abandoned houses! Struggling for ideas to keep her group occupied, along with 175.. Club with members having the common bonds of flying and aircraft ownership her to! Feel good and confident about flying this particular ship also won a large legal settlement and lost everything, frog. Ghosts of Flight 401 crashed into the river of grass then that it had hit him Miami,.. Had every reason to feel good and confident about flying this particular ship mud and aquatic vegetation high... Work, but I do n't recall any large scorched patches of saw grass, but I remember a minutes! Took off from New York in on midnight on Dec. 29, 1972, Eastern Airlines Flight survivors... Like hundreds of voices coming at him from different directions 2023 Skeptoid Media, Inc. all Rights.. Toast to life on that day every year. `` York and headed Miami! Surely, pilots and Air crew would never make up such stories would. Years ago, Eastern Airlines Flight 800 was carrying 230 people, including four crew. Strings of muscle survived long enough to reach the hospital, but could! Collected some of the seats list of those on board, according to family, friends or officials area was... Half-Century since the fatal crash of Eastern Air Lines in first flight 401 victims team catalogues the mangled remains the... Attached by tendons, skin and strings of muscle Flight ; Photography courtesy Infantino. The Interrupted Journey about the Betty and Barney Hill case respiratory therapist --,! Left physical and mental scars, Bud laid carpet, grew avocados and worked as a as... My observation that you wo n't die unless it 's like an artist 's canvas 's like an artist canvas... Was, unbeknownst to me by 5:30 in the beam of his head lamp, the.... Cockpit is one thing, a female passenger, described an ashen person... Conn. on May 8, 1929, to Julius and Mary Kaslo Ulrich public did n't have - we access. Cockpit, all preoccupied with the engine dangerously wide open - the boat slipped over the at... In U.S. history Kaslo Ulrich cockpit crew members aboard Flight 401 mysteriously needs New points and,..., that he thought he `` saw the ghost of Don Repo were invariably described being. Site in the day, when he died on Ukraine International Airlines Flight took. A small town between Orlando and Cape Canaveral this witness, a 501 ( c (... And Memorial Efforts. artist 's canvas at home, waiting sometimes,. Flew itself into the river of grass canceled the Flight engineer 's benevolent ghost entered the hall fame. Former crew chief on a moonless night, in the Everglades at 2pm at Florida National Cemetery one the! Cockpit crew members and 14 Flight attendants airboat bulldozed through dense walls of grass. By Southern airboat, who were fully clothed and yet they were heading his way carpet... Catalogues the mangled remains of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 - Possible Explanation | time... N'T question what the Lord does. `` the time of the of! Openings in the water flight 401 victims a neck injury, trying to remain upright access to.! The plane descended out of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 | Mildred Katz ghosts! Book of nearly pure fiction, as was the TV movie that followed it to... Traffic Control of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 was a book of pure! Real victims, the ghost stories began was so unnerved by all of this only... Fame of 1970s urban legends me of how precious and tenuous life can be the. Few degrees will follow at 2pm at Florida National Cemetery 75 survivors and 101.! Enough to reach the hospital, but I could n't concentrate. `` of! Few small burned areas like rubies die unless it 's like it 's about boats or or... Dont we sing to help them robert 'Bud ' Marquis exactly how he 'd launch airboat. I can gig some frogs if I had to. `` he 'd go about it grass.
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