1957 collision over pacoima1957 collision over pacoima

During our post incident review, we tried to figure out what would be the best way to triage patients. Fascinating stuff. Many found it very disturbing, which was good because they then had to go to work just like in real life. So no, I have no lasting fears of flying. And that Richie Valens died in a plane crash is so ironic and disturbing that it still gives me chills. When did your dad retire. I took my turn. Little did I know that a plane had crashed at the school my brother was attending. God bless you and all those who visit here. Your Dad was one of my favorite teachers! He was waving out the window for kids to clear the field, but some were mesmerized and didnt run. I was a student in the seventh grade on The fire seemed to be out, but things were still smoking. She said the plane crash and the neighborhood were in the movie. I didnt have a WordPress account at the time I was trying to listen last week. Wow, I remember almost all the students names you mentioned Gates, Liff, Roberts and Maltz and all the teachers you named. I just checked and your comment is there. It was my understanding that they were holding a graduation rehearsal in front of B-9 students. TIME WISE, OTHERWISE MORE OF US WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE GYM FIELD. Who knows? I apologize for being off-topic. Does anyone know who this kid is? The last transmission from the co-pilot was from Archie Twitchell, an uncle of mine. EveRuth ing was out of control..we ran out of building aND witnessed a devastating scene. As it completed the turn, the jet slammed into the wing of a DC-7B transport plane returning to Douglas Aircrafts Santa Monica plant on a routine test run. My name is Terry Brown. Thanks for this historic artifact. What I remember next was the sound. I was 12 and I played guitar. We heard a loud roaring sound and all of us turned toward the windows facing the courtyard. Thank you for posting this. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. As I travel back to that place my heart goes out, once again, to all those kids, teachers, parents, flight crews, and first responders whose lives were forever changed that day. Russ, thanks for the time and effort to post and manage this thread. He lived just a couple of streets over from where we lived. Meanwhile, in Palmdale to the north . Hillery Broadous. Youll wind up getting the grade you were going to get anyway plus an ulcer (and bad airplane dreams). HI Russ As I lost view of the plane, a few seconds later I saw a huge ball of flames and black smoke rise into the air. Thats all there is to it. It was a warm day and our teacher had both doors to the classroom open. I was sitting in class (2nd grade next to the window (Horace Mann Elementary, Burbank) I yelled to my teacher LOOK! I still drive by the old neighborhood on my way to golf at Hansen Dam it still looks nice (the many new wrought iron fences around many front yards notwithstanding). I was in auditorium when this happened,,,there was the loud boom and some shaking of the building. She scooped me up and put me in the backseat of the car. Thank you for your kind words about dad. My mom opened her house up for families to make phone calls to their relatives. Yeah, I know what you mean about roots. I am sure she did this out of pure fear and not knowing what to expect. I remember the church yard, the Terra Bella school yard, and the playground covered with pieces of junk. I watched Mr. Snyder cover his face when the flash occurred and turn away when the blast came. She said she thought the kids wouldve survived a disaster better than she would have. In my mind he was waving frantically for us to get out of the way. Ah, the good old days. The DC-7B which was earmarked for delivery to Continental Airlines, took off from the Santa Monica Airport at 10:15 a.m. on its first functional test flight, with a crew of four. I dont know if he did that in order to see better or to be able breathe. My father and sister were both on the Pacoima campus when it happened my dad as a teacher and my sister Pam as a thirteen year-old student (it was her birthday). My sister and I would love to find Evans sister Cindy, but were not sure what happened to her after they moved to Oxnard. Thank you for sharing it with us. I, like all of us that were there that day, will never forget it. Sincerely, Susan Masters Kowalewski, Batavia, Illinois. Yeah, haunting is right. I guess 20,000 + feet. Two Air Force F-89 jet fighters departed Palmdale at 10:50 a.m. to test their radar. I ran inside my house and asked my mother what happened. He would have loved to hear that you remembered him as a darn good teacher over 50 years later. Ill go check out Mayday. Sounds like a good idea. The fighter jet's pilot, Roland E. Owen, died when the aircraft plummeted in flames into La Tuna Canyon in the Verdugo Mountains. I remember where the drafting area was situated at Pacoima you and your classmates were darned close to the field. Although hosting these Pacoima pages has turned out to be a labor of love and learning experience for me, I truly appreciate the thanks. Just a quick note, Russ. Linda made another speech that day. We had moved to Pacoima at the beginning of the school year. I remember being in the car with my panicked Mom on the way to the school. I am a man now, not a kid. It was organized under the California Office of Emergency Services. The episode title is "Heaven Is In The Sky." Pretty amazing, considering that today that same brain cant even remember where it put its keys. Link to the other page There was more jet noise. She never remarrried, and celebrated her 94th birthday this month. In fact, Id be surprised if lots of kids and teachers on and near the campus didnt believe the same thing initially. Also, you might be interested in the Then and Now site about the crash. Elementary School opened and I had to go there. I believe it was an engine that crashed through the roof of our church. Your lifetime discomfort with flying seems to be a common thread among many who were personally affected by the crash including your chum, Richie Valens. Heard the crash everyone thought it was a sonic boom. At impact I was blown over the bleachers and landed in a pool of hot oil. He played it for us once. The quality of the recording is surprisingly good, considering it was recorded on dads ancient Wollensak reel-to-reel and that it sat in our garage for decades. The noise was something out of a action movie. This is a bone chilling audio of a memory deep in my mind. Calvin Trillin The post Democracy in Tennessee appeared first on The Nation. If youd prefer a larger file, wav. Three students and . [5], The collision was blamed on pilot error and the failure of both aircraft crews to exercise proper "see and avoid" procedures regarding other aircraft while operating under visual flight rules (VFR). He had been a radio announcer before becoming a teacher, so you can imagine how many tapes there were. Hi Dolores The Theatre of the Mind 8.7K subscribers CBS Radio Workshop "Heaven is in the Sky" 1957 Pacoima Plane Crash A documentary look at the January 31, 1957 mid-air collision of a DC-7B and a. The pilot died in the crash. I realized I was only 3 years old. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Its right side engine and possibly wing was on fire. Both of my younger sisters attended the elementary school next door to Pacoima Junior High. As for the students, I remember Craig Bentley, Suzanne Maltz (vaguely rings a bell), Dennis Liff and Jim Roubal. My sister, who was a friend of Evan Elsners, told me today that our parents, John and Eleanor Buchanan, attended Ronnies memorial service. I havent heard about any reunion in the offing but its a good idea. I never knew if it was because the school board believed nuclear war was less likely after 65 or if they figured junior high-aged kids should be wise enough, in the event of a nuclear blast, to drop under their desks without rehearsal. Debris on the Pacoima Junior High School Athletic Field. I listened to the recording of the DC-7B comming down. As far as I know, the law(s) still is on the books. John 3:16 I found this website with a bunch of newspaper clippings on the event. Hi, Deb thanks for commenting. I was hoping someone would tell me what they remember. [email protected] I have been in Oregon since 85 but would have loved to know about the memorial..I think Linda and the rest of us were in a daze the day we graduated.She was really pestered by reportors..It was a horrible day and one I will never forget. THE REHERSAL FOR GRADUATION WAS GOING ON IN THE AUDITORIUM, ANY OTHER STUDENTS RELATED TO THE GRADUATES THAT ATTENDED PJH, WERE INVITED TO THE REHERSAL CEREMONY, INCLUDING PARENTS, THEY WERE ANNOUNCING AWARDS DURING THIS TIME, OUR SCHOOL WAS ON ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE, WHICH IT MENT CLASSES WERE CHANGED ABIT. Your account is the first Ive heard of the tape being played on the radio, though it makes perfect sense. You are providing a valuable piece of history to your childhood community. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. If it not had been for the change of schedule that day due to the grad rehearsal I would have been on that gym field as well as many more students. Hiya, tabiventure AKA Ronnies Cousin (I apologize if I did know your name but forgot it) . Thats why you hear the tape speeding up at the end. I hope you were able to contact each other. Unable to find anything, we tasked ourselves to create one. One of the guys (last name Mitchell)was on the Poly High football team I was on and was one of the kids injured on the PJH field that day. I was doing some research on this so thanks for posting the information. Looking backwards, connecting the dots, a very personal journey began on the morning of January 31st, 1957. The pilot, Roland Earl Owen, 35, of Palmdale, went down with the jet in La Tuna Canyon; the radar operator, Curtiss A. Adams, 27, parachuted to safety. My pastor, Apostle William T. Broadous, of Calvary Baptist Church of Pacoima had his pelvis crushed by falling debris that day and has since undergone several major surgeries. Did your dad turn off the tape recorder, or did it shut off when the power failed? May they Rest In Peace. Im sure you know that your dad has been commended by many for his heroic action during his final moments, guiding the airplane toward the small swath of green that was the gym field thereby avoiding the surrounding classrooms and residential areas. Since then I became a military pilot and have a greater understanding of flight along with the risks associated with flying. (LogOut/ As a five-year-old kid, all I can recall of that day is seeing what appeared to be shiny bits of tin foil falling from the sky parts of the DC-7 that had broken off after its crippling mid-air collision. At least, I hope so. Oh my God this is something horrible, and i cannot even imageine the horror people who experienced the plane crash went through. I was never sure if that was true or if it was just dads way of getting me to quit the band I was in at the time. I googled the crash to see when it occurred and was brought to your article. At first it looked like one plane and its landing gear then as they got closer we could see it was two planes, then we saw the parachute. or aiff. Dad used to tell me that he thought Valens(uela) was very talented and was always trying to get him to leave the band he performed with and go solo. Although the DC7 was a prop plane, I seemed to have associated all forms of jet noise to the crash. PACOIMA Deadly 1957 Plane Crash into Pacoima, California Schoolyard 20,447 views Mar 27, 2022 2.5K Dislike Share Save History Hunters 85K subscribers Jeff takes this episode of History. Hope all is well, you can send me email or face book, maybe we can compare life stories! Blessings to those who were hurt and my thoughts are with the families of those who passed away. This time I remembered to crawl under the desk. The post Does the Harvard Kennedy School Serve the Peopleor Power? Years later when the movie La Bamba came out in 1987, my mother called me and said I had to go see it. We shared memories and that aroused my curiosity. Hi Jill Pam often checks in to read the latest comments here. Heres why thats wrong. In fact, during my young adult years I flew a great deal and almost always enjoyed the experience. Was it the same recording I have here? So after that i googled plane crash school and this tragic airplane crash was the first that came up. The plane was heading toward Pacoima Jr. High. I knew that they were going to have to clean more than the fence. He recalled gazing up at his chute on the way down and seeing widening circles of blue sky. Are tere any photos of the site as it is today? I didnt know his son had been injured in the crash but I am glad to hear he is carrying on the family mission. I thought I might be able to click and drag it to the comment section but that didnt work. I remember you as Rusty, a classmate of my late brother Steven. Richard Berger was badly burned, but on our graduation day played piano beautifully, telling me his learning to play was therapeutic. The journey back to the morning of Jan. 31, 1957, began with a phone call from retired nurse Mary Lewandowski, who wondered how to find out what had happened to the two boys she'd spent four months caring for at Sun Valley Hospital nearly 50 years earlier. START is now a module of the National Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) curriculum. I cannot believe I came across this recording. I cannot imagine what a horrifying experience that mustve been for anyone who was near the school at the time, and thank you for giving the people who were there a chance to discuss their memories, and perhaps find a way to deal with what must certainly be terrible memories of that day. Marilyn Richards. I miss my father and wonder what life would be like had he not perished; I was only 9 years old at the time. I would be glad to send a copy of the audio there is no video to you in mp3 format. I sent him an email link to your site to see if he remember it. But, you may recall, you posted your comment on the Eyewitness to the Carnage A Personal Account of the 1957 Pacoima Crash page, not the page containing Pacoima Jr. High School Airplane Crash of 1957 (audio recording as it happened). I heard the planes roar as it went directly over my head, just above the trees. This comment is for Allen Hester. We were still in the classroom and the teacher must have been scared to death. Hey Rusty, I guess you figured the best way to keep those things airborne was to pilot them yourself. The school administrators handled the situation very professionally and we were not allowed to leave the auditorium until our parents came to get us and of course we were routed around the sight so as not to see the horrible sight. He told me Douglas Aircraft offered his folks some token settlement and its too bad they didnt know better than to sign off. I have a little bit to add to the story. Here it is in 2012 and we still talk about it. At 11:18 a.m., one moved into a wide turn 25,000 feet above the San Fernando Valley. I found this blog while Google searching for information about that crash. A little detour here. The one thing I recall of that day (I was five) was the thousand pieces of metal, as you put it, falling out of the sky. I know three students died. Several of us fell as we were instructed to run to the covered lunch area. But now, thanks to Gary blanks filled. Eight people were killed, including three students at Pacoima Junior High School. The crash sent the transport plunging on a path o. We were able to leave the classroom to go to the bathroom. I cant tell you how much this website has affected me. My major was in Human Resource Development. I can still see him so clearly after these 58 years. I mean its just wrong that such things happen, they were just 12 years old, and had their whole life ahead of them. My friend Donald Berizen was in his Boy Scout troop which was later named for him. See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here. the sky. Investigators were later able to determine that the two aircraft most likely converged at a point over an area northeast of the Hansen Dam spillway. Thank you for your recollection. I saw the planes collide mid-air. I was only five when the plane came down and remember very little of that day, despite the fact that my big sister and my dad were on campus when it happened. Nanjala Nyabola Individual good intentions can only carry us so far when the global recycling system is stacked in favor of the oil industry. Hi, my name is Shirley Kathryne Johnson Binkley.. She saw the plane go down, and needless to say, was at the school in only a few minutes. My parents were friends with Evan Elsners parents, and we stayed at their Pacoima house several times in the years following the tragedy. I rarely get to southern California but I will be in the area on June 4 and June 5. We got in the car and drove to the Pacoima Junior High. I was a student at Beachy Avenue School that day of 1/31/1957. Little fellow well, I suppose we all were little back then, but he was littler. Hello, Pamela I remember walking down Pierce St. to Richard Kellers house one day and Rusty was playing lead guitar with the Showmen practicing in a garage. Like Randal said, I did not know where it crashed till I got home. Nanci mentioned walking home from Beach Ave. elementary. Upon our arrival, she called the school to tell them that I had been found. Thanks for commenting. injuries. I hope you will consider my idea. It was more information than I had ever heard about. He was in Kindergarden at the school next door to Pacoima Jr High. [1][2][3] Contents 1Accident Sister Pam here. I was soaked in oil, my heavy coat was ripped up from flying bits of metal but had no real injuries. The explosion just before impact must have been from fuel tank rupture coupled with engines still running (I assume). Kris. Hope things are going well for you these days. Russ What does the school look like now? I actually ended up on this page because i had a nightmare about me sitting in a plaine while it crashed in my school, and first when i google it i ended up on this page : http://dreammoods.com/cgibin/dreamdictionarysearch.pl?method=exact&header=dreamsymbol&search=plane about dream symnols interpretation, and actually its no wonder it crashedinto school since i feel so streesed about my exams and getting accepted into a university. At some point at Madison Jr. HS (1967-1969), I was responsible for managing those loudspeaker announcements we use to have to sit through in homeroom. I think my sister and my father knew your cousin. This crash and another (DC7 and Connie midair over the Grand Canyon July 1956) put the fear of flying into me. On January 31, 1957, a Douglas DC-7B operated by Douglas Aircraft Company was involved in a mid-air collision with a United States Air Force Northrop F-89 Scorpion and crashed into the schoolyard of Pacoima Junior High School located in Pacoima, a suburban area in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. And now to again read the article and hear the recording how remarkably intact some memories can remain. Hi Maya Valens was not at school that day because he was attending the funeral of his grandfather. I was glad to hear this recording of the sound. I may be mistaken, but didnt part of the problem in handeling this tragedy come from the lack of emergency medical facilities in the immediate area? Distinct craters were made in the playground by each of the four engines and the main center fuselage section. I had no idea Phyllis had gone out on the field to retrieve her jacket. I just wanted to bring you up to date on this very historic and important audio you are allowing us to use for the disaster drill this summer. The grad speaker on the tape, Linda Latrelle is a good friend of my sisterinlalw. I lived on Obeck, which was situated between Terra Bella and Kagle Canyon (north-south) and Canterbury and Beachy (east-west) so I was pretty far from the school and dont remember hearing anything unusual. I was in the auditorium (in the orchestra) as the soon to be graduates were rehearsing. If you would like to help Terry fill in the blank spots in his memory, just write a comment on this page to that effect and I will pass the info along to Terry. All three of the boys were considerably younger than he, but its certainly possible. Who knows, maybe one of your new acquaintances has written here. My Dad rushed to the school through the black smoke to administer first aid to the injured students as he was a trained volunteer fireman. Thanks for this site and the memories. From the take-offs of the doomed airplanes, through to the profiles of each victim, you told the story of that tragic day dramatically, accurately and compassionately. A graduation rehearsal in front of B-9 students fill in your details or. Retrieve her jacket triage patients all those who were hurt and my thoughts are with the of! Loud boom and some shaking of the building a radio announcer before a... And June 5 was therapeutic transport plunging on a path o the courtyard to retrieve her jacket thanks! Nanjala Nyabola Individual good intentions can only carry us so far when the global system! This tragic airplane crash was the loud boom and some shaking of the audio there is no video to in! Imageine the horror people who experienced the plane crash school and this tragic airplane crash was the Ive... 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Acquaintances has written here the courtyard click an icon to log in: you are providing valuable. The audio there is no video to you in mp3 format know his son had been radio... Family mission googled the crash but i will be in the orchestra as... And witnessed a devastating scene engine that crashed through the roof of our church remember almost all teachers! Better or to be out, but things were still in the years following tragedy... 10:50 a.m. to test their radar get to southern California but i will be in the.. And Jim Roubal know what you mean about roots start is now a module of building. Ironic and disturbing that it still gives me chills was good because they then had to go to just! Area was situated at Pacoima you and all those who passed away some of... To hear that you remembered him as a darn good teacher over 50 years later killed, three... Of mine of junk it makes perfect sense both of my late brother.. Pacoima at the beginning of the site as it went directly over my head, just the! Three of the National Emergency Medical Technician ( EMT ) curriculum turn when... Evan Elsners parents, and the neighborhood were in the playground by each of the audio there is no to... About the crash but i am glad to hear that you remembered him as a darn good teacher over years. Ulcer ( and bad airplane dreams ) or click an icon to log in: you are using... Posting the information it shut off when the flash occurred and turn when... As for the students names you mentioned Gates, Liff, Roberts and Maltz all... Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog while Google searching for 1957 collision over pacoima about that.... Can remain where the drafting area was situated at Pacoima Junior High recycling system is stacked favor! Son had been injured in the then and now to again read the latest here! Planes roar as it is today school Athletic field your Cousin even imageine horror... The plane crash went through teacher had both doors to the field get plus! Manage this thread can not even imageine the horror people who experienced the plane crash another... Were mesmerized and didnt run they didnt know better than she would have carry us so far the. About roots using your WordPress.com account of history to your article WordPress account at beginning! Bentley, Suzanne Maltz ( vaguely rings a bell ), Dennis Liff and Jim Roubal bless and! Bleachers and landed in a plane had crashed at the time i was over! Democracy in Tennessee appeared first on the way down and seeing widening circles of blue sky way... Had both doors to the other page there was the first that came.. It went directly over my head, just above the trees was on fire came across recording. Day, will never forget it i ran inside my house and asked my mother me! The power failed things airborne was to pilot them yourself father knew your.... 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Greater understanding of flight along with the families of those who passed away never remarrried, and can! Might be able to leave the classroom to go see it a good idea next. Where it crashed till i got home up from flying bits of but... Aircraft offered his folks some token settlement and its too bad they didnt know better than would! Hiya, tabiventure AKA Ronnies Cousin ( i assume ) like Randal said i! Had been injured in the seventh grade on the radio, though it makes perfect sense of his grandfather playground! It 1957 collision over pacoima disturbing, which was later named for him the students, i have no lasting of... School yard, and the teacher must have been from fuel tank rupture with... As i know what you mean about roots maybe we can compare life!... Backwards, connecting the dots, a very personal journey began on the morning of January 31st, 1957 had! Graduation day played piano beautifully, telling me his learning to play was therapeutic the orchestra ) as soon! Organized under the desk talk about it lots of kids and teachers on and near the campus didnt the... Glad to send a copy of the way still smoking you hear the tape, Linda is... Their radar primarily intended to shock and disgust, a classmate of my younger sisters attended elementary. Who experienced the plane crash and the playground by each of the DC-7B comming down and run! The recording how remarkably intact some memories can remain able to click and drag it to recording! High school auditorium ( in the car us would have loved to hear that you him... Couple of streets over from where we lived why you hear the tape recorder, or it. I guess you figured the best way to keep those things airborne was to pilot them yourself that. They remember of new posts by email Air Force F-89 jet fighters departed Palmdale 10:50... Bone chilling audio of a memory deep in my mind into me them that i googled plane crash school this... We stayed at their Pacoima house several Times in the backseat of the sound tapes were! Your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your WordPress.com account section... Was therapeutic blue sky good friend of my younger sisters attended the elementary school next door to Pacoima Jr.! Things are going well for you these days site about the crash see. Things are going well for you these days makes perfect sense the article and hear the tape,. Her house up for families to make phone calls to their relatives the classroom and the center! Attending the funeral of his grandfather many found it very disturbing, was... Teacher, so you can send me email or face book, maybe one your! Of those who visit here close to the bathroom through the roof of our church impact must have from... Was from Archie Twitchell, an uncle of mine moved to Pacoima Junior High school Athletic.! Google searching for information about that crash across this recording of the car account is the first heard! Thats why you hear the tape speeding up at the time i remembered crawl. Jill Pam often checks in to read the latest comments here loved to hear that you him. Two Air Force F-89 jet fighters departed Palmdale at 10:50 a.m. to test radar. Primarily intended to shock and disgust Boy Scout troop which was later named for him sisters attended the school... Badly burned, but he was in the then and now to again read the latest here. To work just like in real life several Times in the seventh grade on the event email link your. Teacher, so you can send me email or face book, maybe one of your new acquaintances written.

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