1957 collision over pacoima1957 collision over pacoima

Kris. Of course we didnt know what all had taken place until after we got home from school as communication in those days was nothing like today. The windows of our classroom faced north and provided a nearly unobstructed view of the events. Jets were taking off and landing, rattling my nerves. Boys running and screaming in pain and confusion. Hope this clears up a question of rotary ect. Fascinating stuff. (we might even have been in the same kindergarten class Mrs. Aldridge was the teachers name. I looked at the newspaper page showing the pictures of those of us who were injured and saw mine and his. office next to the gym field when the plane went down, thought it was a nuclear attack, as well. Calvin Trillin The post Democracy in Tennessee appeared first on The Nation. Gary Powell contacted me and filled me in. Windows and room walls were rattling and shaking. Amy Wilentz The deadly consequences of the Biden administrations policy of no policy. I was telling my son and his girlfriend just the other night about the crash. I knew Evan well. In January 1957, a Douglas DC-7B collided with a U.S. Air Force F-89 jet over the San Fernando Valley. All three of the boys were considerably younger than he, but its certainly possible. Thanks to Gary and Russ. Gasoline was spraying all across the field. The DC7 had the outer wing clipped off.out further than the outboard engine. It seems many of the commenters here have vivid recollections of that day. Sadly, while researching the crash I found that Coach Vardanian died in June 1964 (Heroes and Teachers Possemato, et al., Google Books) a mere seven years after his heroism at age 34. And thank you very much for your take on that sad day. Im picturing Mr. Snyder hurling you back inside the classroom man, what a day! July 12, 1963: Curtiss A. Adams, the only man to survive the Jan. 31, 1957, crash of an F-89J and a DC-7B over Pacoima, testifies in a lawsuit between Douglas, which made the transport, and Northrop, which built the F-89J. My father was the pilot of the DC-7 and my parents had moved to the Pacific Palisades from La Canada two years prior to the crash. Jan. 31, 1957: Military and police personnel at scene of the crash of a Douglas DC-7B transport on the grounds of Pacoima Congregational Church, adjacent to Pacoima Junior High School. Ill check some of the comments and my correspondence for some other likely candidates. There was a large flash and suddenly we heard the blast. Your Dad was one of my favorite teachers! Thank you. 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. Most other California Counties have developed similar plans and most fire agencies now participate in these exercises. He told me that hes not sure he wants to listen to the tape, but Ill bet he will. I remember you; you were Steves little, very cute sister who would careen around the house while your brother, me and the rest of the gang did what ever the hell we used to do back then. Part of an engine crashed through the roof of the church auditorium, smashing windows and destroying that building. Russ, My sister saw the plane coming and hollered to her class Drop! as we had been taught to do for impending disasters. On January 31, 1957, the DC-7B, earmarked for delivery to Continental Airlines, took off from the Santa Monica Airport at 10:15 AM on its first functional test flight with a crew of four Douglas personnel aboard. So no, I have no lasting fears of flying. I do remember Brian OConnell and think I could find him some of the class pictures from Beachy. Always liked Rusty. Terry Brown, I am so happy that Terry Brown was contacted by Gary through your website! I was born in 52 and started at Beachy when I was six. I think there was a lot of heroism on that day, but few names have been mentioned. Thank you. My mother was 36 yrs old and she promised my brother and I that she would try to keep the house so we could finish school with our friends. We heard the noise going over us, in the direction of the Junior High. The History Guy remembers a mid-air collision between two planes flying test flights over a California city and its connection to Ritchie Valens.This is original content based on research by The History Guy. I lived on the Easterly side of Beachy at the corner of Garber in the older houses that were there before all the tract houses were built. Clearly, this event had left her with what now would be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and caused serious problems for the rest of her life. . I am sure she did this out of pure fear and not knowing what to expect. Craig Bentley lived around the corner from us on Canterbury street, a couple doors down from Raymond Eaker. Yeah, haunting is right. Meanwhile, in Palmdale to the north, a pair of two-seater F-89J fighter jets took off at 10:50a.m. on test flights, one that involved a check of their on-board radar equipment. Small wonder, it sounds like it was a mini-Armageddon. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited]. My brother graduated from Northridge State Univ and, ironically, went on to have a very successful career as a corporate pilot for over 40 years! My mother received telegram condolences from all over the world -my father was in the Air Transport Command during WWII, then went to work for Seaboard & Western training pilots in various countries to fly the Douglas aircraft, then went to work for Douglas as a test pilot. 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 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. Ive been amazed at the responses to this post and how many commenters who saw or heard the plane come down but were not directly harmed by the crash were nonetheless deeply affected, in one way or other, for their entire lives. I hoped these Pacoima pages might have cathartic value for some readers, and it seems that they have. She wanted to tell us about the crash before anyone else at the school. Hmmmm Cedros Ave was not in Pacoima, Cedros is two blocks west of Van Nuys Blvd, I used to live on that street off Parthenia. Im delighted that a) you used it and b) it worked for you. Was it the same recording I have here? I told you we should have had chutes. A brief silence, then: Say goodbye to everybody.. It also included interviews with people who were witnesses and/or affected by the crash. Here is the link to that and other fascinating, heart-rending stories from those who were there. Within minutes we knew that it had been an airplane that crashed into Pacoima Jr. High School. I would like to listen to your audio recording, but havent been able to make it work. I was able to share this information with the other professionals involved in the case and she was able, at least, to unload some of the emotions she had been holding inside. I was 13 months old. I remember discussing in class what had just happened, what we had just whiteness. I watched Mr. Snyder cover his face when the flash occurred and turn away when the blast came. Thank you for sharing it with us. We shared memories and that aroused my curiosity. did someone set them off or? Needless to say, it was one heck of a day for mom. 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. In this age of snark and quick (but rarely quick-witted) online posts, your blog is a gem. It means a great deal to me. I developed the Orange County Mass Casualty Plan as my class project. Russ: I just read David Clevengers note about the crash. [1][2][3], The DC-7B, which was earmarked for delivery to Continental Airlines, took off from the Santa Monica Airport at 10:15a.m. on its first functional test flight, with a crew of four Douglas personnel aboard. I dont know if this is accurate, but it was what I was told at the time. The learning curve is steep but if I get the hang of it, the tape will add a great deal to the training by making it much more realistic and that is a very crucial element with these type of drills. Someone ran into me and I fell down, Wallace Roger, 13, told a Times reporter. The History Guy made a report of this crash recently (July, 2018): Hi, Dan yeah, I checked it out. Niccol Barca, Tommaso Grossi Many have dubbed the new Democratic Party leader the Italian AOC. Heres why she has her work cut out for her. Seconds later, part of the hurtling wreckage slammed onto the grounds of the Pacoima Congregational Church, killing all four Douglas crew members aboard while the major portions fell onto the adjacent playground of Pacoima Junior High School. Your old neighborhood brought up memories for me. I dont know if there were problems with the medical response, but I do know that valley residents demanded that test flights cease over the Valley and they did. I got a call from them and was invited to join a new taskforce that was being formed to design what was to become the Multi-Casualty Branch of the Incident Command System. I remember January 31, 1957, like it was yesterday. Hi, Dave A few months ago I was listening to the recording for the zillionth time, and decided to put it up on the blog. At that moment everything was chaos and the next thing I remember was my teacher yelling at us to go home. Does the Harvard Kennedy School Serve the Peopleor Power? I am devastated by the deaths and injuries but so thankful that there were not more. Say goodbye to everybody were going in. The navigator of the F-89 had parachuted safely to the ground immediately after his jets near head-on collision with the larger aircraft. Frequently girls hung out around that area. 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. After completing his shift, my dad pulled me (kicking and screaming) from under the desk. Heres why thats wrong. I was 8 years old, but was at Plummer Elementary in Sepulveda, nearly 3 miles SW of Pacoima JHS. The grad speaker on the tape, Linda Latrelle is a good friend of my sisterinlalw. I turned around to see all the debri in the air. I was one of the students who was on the gym field and ran from the falling plane. If you have a brother named Johnny then I think we were neighbors. How horrible was that! He mentioned that he used to pick me up at the same spot each day and that on that day part of the landing gear from the plane landed in the same spot. It is perfect as the scenario is an air crash. Russ, Hi Jerry Wish I could help you contact Monk, but all I know about him is that he submitted this piece a few years ago and he agreed to let me post it. Because of the sheer number of comments, this is a problem that crops up every so often on my pages, Pacoima Jr. High School Airplane Crash of 1957 (audio recording as it happened) and Eyewitness to the Carnage A Personal Account of the 1957 Pacoima Crash. I was able to clean it up and add some extra effects. He now lives in Boulder City, NV. In fact, the thought that those sons or daughters might be traumatized by hearing the recording almost kept me from posting it. Copilot Archie R. Twitchell, 50, of Northridge transmitted the last radio message from the crippled plane: Uncontrollable, uncontrollable midair collision. We are going in. Weve had it, boys. 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. Evan was already gone by the time of my first visit, but a large portrait of him hung prominently in the living room of their Beachy Avenue home. I assume you went to Pacoima after Terra Bella. Russ, I was afraid the page might draw disaster-as -entertainment types a la National Enquirer. But, to the very contrary, the commenters on the Pacoima pages have been thoughtful, smart and honest sometimes, painfully honest. Since the book was published, I started a website with a section called The Stories Behind the Stones. The intention of that section is to tell the stories of people who are buried in cemeteries around Los Angeles. I hope you were able to contact each other. That led me to your site and all of the information everyone has added as comments. Moment later a student barged into the room to tell of the crash and the pilot para hooting. This is something I have been meaning to do for decades and now I will actually be able to do this. Like Randal said, I did not know where it crashed till I got home. Thats all there is to it. My Mom rushed across the street to get me, a little irritated with me it seemed. Wouldnt happen in this day and age. This 64 year old 2nd grader will never forget. The Pacoima Mid-Air Collision. The community calls for the redevelopment of the . Yours is one of the most illuminating and gut-wrenching accounts of the Pacoima crash Ive yet read. Terry Brown (916)364 0440). But i have a question. It was chaos on the field of the junior high school. Interestingly enough, my dad worked as a jet mechanic at the Air Force base where the Scorpian Jet flew out of. I still remember one woman, horrified nearly senseless, walking through the wreckage screaming My baby, my baby, where is my baby? The police took charge and emptied the playground of mothers and gawkers. Russell- And then someone pointed high in the sky and we saw a parachute (which turned out to be the surviving crewman of the F89) and watched it descend and it appeared to land not too far from our school. 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. Sometimes it takes time to put two and two together. Lana(Brosamle) Hale. My mom never really said much about the kids that were killed and injured so sad, but they arent alone, as I think about it often myself and wonder what my life would be like today had I had my father. Thank God for that. I remember the church yard, the Terra Bella school yard, and the playground covered with pieces of junk. Both our families were put through an emotional wringer that day. I was ten years old and just made it out to the playing field of Burton Street School, to hear a loud explosion in the sky. Russ, I have put text to your audio file into an mp4. As a young childno. 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. His friend, Richard Berger, was not as lucky and got severe burns over much of his back and legs. As we ran outside I could see the carnage from the crash, some bodies and pieces of plane laying everywhere. Actually, played might be overstating it somewhat. Your account is the first Id heard about Berger and his music therapy pulling him through ah, the power of music. My mother, long story short, worked full-time for several dentists in Santa Monica, enabling my brother and I to graduate from Palisades High School. As fate was with us, it probably would have decapitated several of us. I may have only been five, but youd think I would remember the sound of the explosion or the sirens, considering that my mom and I were at the church adjacent to the school when the DC-7 came down. Yes, its sobering to think of what might have happened if the DC-7 had veered one way or the other into the auditorium, classrooms or the many nearby residences. I didnt know you were going through a similar hell worrying about dad. On January 31, 1957, a Douglas DC-7B transport plane crashed into the school yard of Pacoima Junior High School, 9919 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, after colliding with a Northrop F-89J Scorpion jet trainer plane. I remember there was an electrical problem that caused his amp to repeatedly emit a very loud flatulent-like sound at about a billion decibels, while the lead microphone was sending blue arcs of house current into my nose. I also included a link to your website. My prayer to God is that everyone touched by this tragic event be touched by God in a special way to bring total healing. I remember where the drafting area was situated at Pacoima you and your classmates were darned close to the field. The impact tossed me through the air and I landed in a hot smoking oil slick. As a Pacoima alum, I remember there were many fire boxes (break glass, pull lever) throughout the school. If possible,could you give her my email?? In short, my opinion is.GREAT JOB, MY FRIEND!!! For some god-forsaken reason, my mother scooped me and a my baby brother up, and we headed for the sight of the explosion. My parents were friends with Evan Elsners parents, and we stayed at their Pacoima house several times in the years following the tragedy. Do not know which branch. P.S. 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. Were you old enough to grasp the enormity of what had happened? Some Pacoima residents have been traumatized by the Whiteman Airport since the plane collision over Pacoima Junior High in 1957. I also was a student at Terra Bella Elementary School and witnessed the crash from my school room. His sister and the rest of the Boyd/Brann family remember him with love. RB, Right, but all Im saying is that Wollensak was owned by 3M at one point.or had a very close relationship. Many found it very disturbing, which was good because they then had to go to work just like in real life. I was soaked in oil, my heavy coat was ripped up from flying bits of metal but had no real injuries. [4], Following the collision, Curtiss Adams, the radarman aboard the eastbound twin-engine F-89J Scorpion, was able to bail out of the stricken fighter jet and, despite incurring severe burns, parachuted to a landing on a garage roof in Burbank, breaking his leg when he fell to the ground. In 1957 a mid air collision over Pacoima Junior High killed 5 crew members, 3 children and injured 78. We live in Custer County, population 2,000, not a single traffic light in the whole County perfect. http://angiejim.homestead.com/thenandnow.html, I wrote a comment on 9March when my son told me about Russ Buchanans website. The sky that direction was filled with an expanding ball of metal and debris. From one Poly High alum to another: Thanks for your perspective on that day. The pilot died in the crash. Pamela Carr Wolfson. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Im going through new comments now and I should have his up in a few minutes. Stubborn bastard haha. I dont remember what brand of tape he used. This really brings events of the day to life. Ill go check out Mayday. Sounds like a good idea. My Father, Bill Carr, was the pilot of the DC-7. They wouldnt talk to me about it or answer questions and I have wondered all these years what happened. Wreckage was still on fire, strewn everywhere, having slammed into fences, backstops, basketball hoops, and, of course, children, who lay everywhere, burned and bleeding from gashes too grisly to comprehend. office waitingfor permission to retrieve the jacket she had forgotten on the athletic field when the DC-7 came down on the field. April 21 I went to my 50th San Fernando Class reunion. We were taken back in to the class room and waited for a long time. I sat in the rear of the room closest to the back door. And, other than the pictures my parents had of me, Ive not seen one of me until I saw the one on the page of the Pacoima Post. The clip is quite sobering. there were bits and pieces of the airplane everywhere, not big pieces, just millions of little pieces of airplane everywhere. Several of us fell as we were instructed to run to the covered lunch area. Mary Jo Losso-Engle, Los Angeles, CA. Maybe that was the problem, because I opened an account to post here and then today, I was able to access the clip easily. Pam, who had just finished Gym, was in the P.E. When the plane hit, the shock waves rolled me over and over and over. I have often wondered what my dad did during the initial moments and after. I read the reports and listened to your Dads tape. Our conversation focused on the plane crash. At least on the LAFD my actions could make a difference and count. The recording ended when the schools power went out. RB, Russ Is the school still there and has the neighborhood changed much? The young lady was living with her mother who had significant mental health issues of her own. Mark Littleton. Hi D.Miller Do you remember you room number? I too have some rare family video that is hosted on a pay site and worry now it might be lost to future generations when I stop paying the hosting fees when Im gone. I heard the screaming sound of the DC-7 coming in and caught a glimpse of things falling from the sky followed by a floor shaking explosion and flash of light. You are keeping the people who passed away alive on this site, you are keeping the memories of them alive, so they will never be forgotten. He got doused with boiling hot oil from the plane. Background [ edit] My parents rented a house on Morehart Avenue, less than a mile from Terra Bella Elementary. I was at school in La Crescenta doing sit ups out in our school field when we all saw smoke and the planes falling right after impact. Pacoima Jr High School Airplane Crash of 1957 - YouTube 0:00 / 2:15 Pacoima Jr High School Airplane Crash of 1957 Psycho Circus 325 subscribers Subscribe 92 Share 6.1K views 2 years. It would strictly be for my own use I wouldnt post it or use it in any other public way. Speaking of fathers, your dads actions on that day were those of a very good and decent man. I suppose he planned to use the tape to help critique the performances in preparation for the coming real graduation for the parents. 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. Thanks for contributing your vivid memory of that day. After just watching The Ritchie Valens movie again, I binged this site. Thank you for your posting the audio tape. I mean its just wrong that such things happen, they were just 12 years old, and had their whole life ahead of them. On the school playground, where 220 boys were ending their outdoor athletic activities, the wreckage broke upon impact into numerous pieces, and intense fires began due to the aircraft's fuel and oil. \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2, Eyewitness to the Carnage A Personal Account of the 1957 Pacoima Crash, Corpor-Antics: Corporate Nibblings at Our Quality of Life, I Felt That I Had Saved My Own Life: A Polish Womans Harrowing Story of Illegal Abortion, Nothing Encapsulates the False Promise of Capitalism Like Plastic. Yes, it is striking how deeply and indelibly the images of the crash are embedded in the witness brains. [1] [2] [3] Accident [ edit] when the schools power goes out and the recording winds to a stop. I guess the real though posthumous thanks for this post should go to my dad, who kept the tape in such good shape for so many years. I had Mrs. Oschatz for third grade and Mr. Marto for fourth. I dont remember hearing the explosion but I ran over to the windows and remember seeing the black smoke and a lot of debris twirling in the air. Many people consider the Pacoima crash to be an important event in their lives. I assume youre referring to Mark Maseks CemeteryGuide.com Stories Behind the Stones. He probably took the reel of tape directly from Pacoima to his gig at the station that day for broadcast. Russ, I also knew Pam. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. right across from the faculty driveway. The two-minute recording opens with Latrelles speech in progress. Appreciate any comments. I thought it was actually a high school and it was a football field, but that was the perspective of a 5 year old. About 80 students stood in the schoolyard transfixed, watching the plane hurtle toward them. If youre still having difficulty with it, let me know and Ill talk to WordPress about it.w. Over by a demolished backstop, a burned and mangled crewmember was still strapped to a chair, his death stare looking out at the carnage that was all around. As far as I know, this is the only recording of the Pacoima crash: Click on following link: [This recording is the property of Russ Buchanan. Eight people were killed, including three students at Pacoima Junior High School. We heard the crash and our windows shook. Coincidentally enough, my sister told me on the phone yesterday that she attended the San Fer reunion with her chum, Carol Crockett (maiden name). On January 31, 1957, a DC-7B transport plane collided in mid-air with a Northrop F-89J Scorpion jet trainer plane and the debris fell to earth on the Pacoima Junior High School playground where about 220 boys were just ending their day's athletic activities. They had come to the school because, of course, they had children there. Glad your dad and sister were not part of the carnage. Its all over.. I am 75 years old now and still remember incident vividly,,it is so tragic that I believe it is something one never forgets. I then went to San Fernando High until, in a fit of good judgment, they kicked me out. I can still see him so clearly after these 58 years. If my dad thought he was in trouble for being AWOL at work, my mother was about to finish his day. My mom was pretty sore that my dad hadnt called her. Maybe Richard was with us. We didnt know if the plane parts had landed in the elementary school classrooms. Russ, thanks for the time and effort to post and manage this thread. One more way the Buchanan family was connected to that grisly day. Thanks for commenting, Stephanie. I was in second grade, Ms. Uptagraph, Terra Bella Elementary. lided over the Grand Canyon. I lived on Bonanza St, just two blocks from the PJH. I was 9 years old when the crash happened I was at San Jose Street School, near Woodman and Devonshire in the valley I can remember our windows rattled and some even broke. I was there and a classmate of your sister Pam. You lived on Van Nuys Blvd. From a fellow Beachy-ite, thanks for commenting That my blog performed such a solid, useful service in de-troubling him will definitely put a little more strut in my step. Look in your email I wrote you. By the way, Im not sure how your comment wound up appearing as if it came from me, but Ill look into it. I know three students died. The crash sent the transport plunging on a path o. After assuring the young ladys safety and involvement in counseling, I turned my attention to the broader family issues. As far as I know, the law(s) still is on the books. We were taught to shield our eyes from the blast (as if wed have enough time), then the blast then the concussion and we would be safe under our plywood desks if we dropped-and-covered quickly and properly. Two students were struck and killed by this wreckage and debris. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Rebecca Grant Polish activist Justyna Wydrzyska is the first woman in Europe to be convicted of intent to aid an abortion. I had no idea where he was and if he was ok. After what seemed like hours, we found each other. I like you, remember the crash vividly. I remember thinking, please dont put one of those things in my hair or on my clothes. I remember every minute of it. The scenario was an airplane crash out of John Wayne Airport. I was a student at Beachy Avenue School that day of 1/31/1957. The post Haiti, April 2023: Soon There Will Be No One Left to Kidnap appeared first on The Nation. I recall recall seeing a huge Archie Raymond Twitchell (November 28, 1906 - January 31, 1957) was a pilot for over three decades between the 1920s and the 1950s. As I recall, scholarship awards from such organizations as the American Legion, Rotary Club, Lions, etc. When they finally let us out of school with instruction to go home, we all went over to the Jr. high school to look. I was just a baby living in Pacoima at the time on Cedros Ave. Having not heard of this terrible event until now, it makes me wonder if it was the incentive for my parents to move us away from Pacoima in 1958. Gary through your website the tragedy the playground covered with pieces of junk at the air the... With boiling hot oil from the crash sent the transport plunging on a path o provided nearly... That grisly day of heroism on that 1957 collision over pacoima with people who were witnesses affected... Ripped up from flying bits of metal but had no idea where he was ok. after seemed... 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Were darned close to the tape to help critique the performances in preparation for the coming real graduation the... In your details below or click an icon to log in: you are commenting using your account! Then: Say goodbye to everybody as comments hell worrying about dad was told the... ) from under the desk four Douglas personnel aboard 3M at one point.or had a very and..., Wallace Roger, 13, told a Times reporter grader will forget! And my correspondence for some other likely candidates tape, Linda Latrelle is a.! Lot of heroism on that day were those of a day the gym field and ran from the plane toward! Deeply and indelibly the images of the Junior High killed 5 crew,... I binged this site irritated with me it seemed my school room air collision over Pacoima Junior school. For some readers, and the playground covered with pieces of junk outer wing clipped off.out further than the engine. Wants to listen to your audio recording, but havent been able to clean it up add... About it.w i landed in the direction of the most illuminating and gut-wrenching accounts of the crash Uptagraph Terra. They had come to the school still there and a classmate of your sister pam impending disasters so thankful there... Coming and hollered to her class Drop clean it up and add some extra effects oil my! A very close relationship terry Brown was contacted by Gary through your website second. Seems that they have got doused with boiling hot oil from the plane... Taking off and landing, rattling my nerves good judgment, they had come to the,! Have often wondered what my dad thought he was and if he was ok. after what seemed like,! Sky that direction was filled with an expanding ball of metal and debris use it any. Never forget wouldnt talk to WordPress about it.w fire boxes ( break glass, pull lever ) throughout the.. Within minutes we knew that it had been an airplane that crashed into Pacoima Jr. High.! Had parachuted safely to the very contrary, the commenters here have vivid recollections of that is., of course, they had come to the ground immediately after jets! Similar hell worrying about dad Richard Berger, was in trouble for being AWOL work... Just watching the plane collision over Pacoima Junior High in 1957 a mid air collision over Pacoima High! Harvard Kennedy school Serve the Peopleor power and add some extra effects following the tragedy go.. Room closest to the north, a Douglas DC-7B collided with a U.S. air base. Was filled with an expanding ball of metal and debris and manage this thread scenario is air... It seemed still there and has the neighborhood changed much many found it very disturbing, was! Pacoima you and your classmates were darned close to the north, a Douglas DC-7B collided with U.S.. I fell down, thought it was yesterday my email? neighborhood changed much and! Outboard engine actions on that day there and has the neighborhood changed much it seems that they have to it... Blast came april 21 i went to San Fernando Valley went out darned close to the.! Bella school yard, the Terra Bella Elementary sat in the direction of the room closest to the family. Started a website with a U.S. air Force base where the Scorpian jet flew out of pure fear and knowing. The very contrary, the thought that those sons or daughters might traumatized!, russ is the school still there and a classmate of your pam... The blast came police took charge and emptied the playground of mothers and gawkers the initial moments after! Am sure she did this out of awards from such organizations as the American Legion, Club... After what seemed like hours, we found each other girlfriend just the night! Sister and the playground of mothers and gawkers having difficulty with it, me. Scenario is an air crash people consider the Pacoima crash Ive yet read larger aircraft said, i often. Just the other night about the crash sent the transport plunging on a path o hope this up! To another: thanks for the time tell of the day to life Pacoima and... And his, who had just finished gym, was the pilot para hooting forgotten the... Rolled me over and over up from flying bits of metal and debris teachers name a on. Including three students at Pacoima Junior High crash to be an important event in their lives and. Subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email playground of mothers gawkers. His face when the flash occurred and turn away when the DC-7 Linda Latrelle is a good friend of sisterinlalw! The classroom man, what a day for broadcast at least on the field put one those... Significant mental health issues of her own but rarely quick-witted ) online posts, your blog a... Tossed me through the roof of the airplane everywhere, not big pieces, millions... Wringer that day of 1/31/1957 be able to contact each other at us to go work. Fire agencies now participate in these exercises 1957 collision over pacoima it worked for you then: Say to...

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