Dad was teaching English at Pacoima and was also coaching kids on their graduation speeches. He also had a second profession as a movie actor. having listened to the recording it was chilling but i cant imagine what it would look like if it was done in the animation of the Canadian documentary series mayday where youd see the collision and the dc-7 breaking up before hitting the ground. Paul Morse, who passed away a few years ago, was a very close friend of my family. So maybe your dad did distribute copies to all the other Jr. High Schools. Today is the 57th anniversary of the plane crash; I think about it every January 31st. Small wonder. I bailed out of the jeep, ran out of the hanger, and ran down the tarmac. The two-minute recording opens with Latrelles speech in progress. I wasnt sure if I had invented that memory or not, but yours and other comments lead me to believe I did see exactly that. Bronya Feldmann. Eight people were killed, including three students at Pacoima Junior High School. As a young childno. Youd think I would have remembered that little detail but no, the slate is clean. Many of my childhood friends had similar stories as I read with Mark G. and Garth R. Many years later upon growing up I joined the LAFD/Paramedic Rescue. He told me Douglas Aircraft offered his folks some token settlement and its too bad they didnt know better than to sign off. I appreciated your comments. It must have been the DC7 falling to earth. HE CARRIED HIS GUITAR WHERE EVER HE WENT. It rolled to the left and began an uncontrollable, spiraling, high-velocity dive earthward. Thats all there is to it. Both our families were put through an emotional wringer that day. Ah, the Internet! diplomatic convoy attacked in Sudan amid new appeal for cease-fire, Putin pays second visit to Russian troops in occupied Ukraine, A U.S. reservist needed work. 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. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. My physical injuries were minor, my clothes and jacket kept me from getting burned by the hot oil. A fine man whose life seemed way too short. 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. When we were finally allowed to leave the P.E. 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. My heart goes out to any and all who experienced this disaster. My first band spent many hours in a Mission Hills garage learning how to play and annoying the neighbors. My cousin, Ronnie, died on the playground that day. {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252 I remember dad once said (and I mean only once he rarely talked about that day) something about having to either identify or tend to (I cant remember which) a boy who had sustained a horrible head injury. We were able to leave the classroom to go to the bathroom. Non censuram.Find The History Guy at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryGuyYT/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheHistoryGuyThe History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. Thanks, Knight. Thanks for writing and for having terrific ears. The episode title is "Heaven Is In The Sky." And Larry Bakken. He recalled gazing up at his chute on the way down and seeing widening circles of blue sky. Except I went to Pacas (Pacoima for those Sherman Oaks folks) in the mid-60s. Debris on the Pacoima Junior High School Athletic Field. I remember how frightened she was about it. But every life is an interesting story that deserves to be told and remembered. I had never seen her like that before and it scared me. I would like to talk with anyone who has memories of the crash because I dont. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, L.A. Then and Now The day fiery disaster fell from the sky, Opinion: Why the Trump indictment isnt as legally dubious as many claimed, Wall Street Journal reporter appeals his detention in Russia on spying charges, They found work in Russia. He developed an intense fear of flying and died in a plane crash 2 years later I remember that day too. But only send me the copy if its easy for you to do. Speaking of fathers, your dads actions on that day were those of a very good and decent man. Russ, thank you for hosting this area where people who experienced the Pacoima plane crash can come to share and support one another. Ill tell her you said hello. Yeah, it seems kids of the Cold War era were so extensively drilled with drop and cover that they just naturally assumed the explosion was the Rooskies unloading nuclear hell on Pacoima. My mother had heard the whine of the falling plane and ran out screaming, Oh, my god, oh my god, I think a plane just crashed! We looked out the front window and saw a mushroom cloud of thick black smoke rising over the schools. Our family lived at 13328 Kagel Cyn. 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. Thank you, Mr. Buchanan. All I remember is the confetti-like pieces of metal floating down from the sky and later, when we returned to the house, my moms agitated state (my sister and dad were at the school). Hope you are doing well! Is that true? I went to Santa Monica College, and graduated from a business college with a degree in accounting and had a successful 40-year carrer in administration/accounting, married my husband, whom I met while spending our summers at Lake Arrowhead, have one daughter who is 41 and we are now retired and moved in 2007 to Prescott, AZ, after spending 34 years in Pasadena. Hello Phyllis, I was in the auditorium getting ready to graduate.LInda Lutrell was a very good friend of mine.I will never forget that day and just now listened to the recording.I was shocked at my reaction to it.I went to grade school and Jr. High with Linda and wouod love to connect with her again,its been years..My name then was Lana Brosamle.Linda was in our little group of girls.Pat Cox, Dorothy Alexander, Marlene Sherman. If you mean Pacoima Junior, I saw it a few years ago and it still looks like the fine learning institution we knew. It was years later when I read the article about Ronnie and it may have been one of the saddest stories. I just checked it on my iPad and it played fine. The post Changes Everything appeared first on The Nation. As I recall, scholarship awards from such organizations as the American Legion, Rotary Club, Lions, etc. Did you live on OBeck or Oback??? I went to this school on 1967 and always remember hearing some of the teachers saying they were there on that day. In 1957, a plane collision crash killed seven people two pilots and two crew members, . I agree terrific site, very informative. I was at Montegue Elementary School right across from our house. I still remember seeing a great deal of plane parts scattered across the gym field. . Thank you, Russ, for continuing in your efforts. I had just turned five on the 16th of January and the plane flew right over me, raining down some sort of metallic confetti. But still, Im pretty darned sure I did see it. My brother, Marvin, who was also at Pacoima Jr. High that day, may be able to tell you something about one of the boys who was injured. The sound became a scream and I froze along with everyone in my classroom. My physiological reaction as I sit here now is unpleasant which I hope and pray is an emotional catharsis. 1957 Pacoima mid-air collision - Wikipedia 1957 . Jets were taking off and landing, rattling my nerves. I dont know if he did that in order to see better or to be able breathe. Thank you for posting this remarkable, memorable recording and retelling of the events on that fateful day. I have wondered if I really heard this, but after reading the other accounts on this site I am sure I did. I was traumatized for years, fearful of every jet flying overhead, I am still uncomfortable flying. Russ: I just read David Clevengers note about the crash. We raced toward Terra Bella Elementary School where my brother, Jimmy, was a first or second grader. During the next few days after, the.pieces of metal that fell in our yards, was picked up by people in uniforms. I attended Beachy Ave. from Sept. 1957 to June 1962 (5th grade). I dont recall your Dad, but may well have had him as a teacher. My parents rented a house on Morehart Avenue, less than a mile from Terra Bella Elementary. The system integrates with Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) teams, Hazardous Materials (HazMat) teams, High rise firefighting operations, law enforcement operations, and any other operations that may be occurring at the same time. Thanks Russ for posting this. If anyone wants to talk to you about the crash, they can contact me and Id be happy to pass along your email address to them after checking with you. However, it appears you overcame your fear of flying IN A BIG WAY. The organizers believe the sound of an actual disaster will lend gravitas and realism to the drill. I sent him an email link to your site to see if he remember it. Most memorable to me was the large black mushroom cloud of smoke immediately after impact. My name is Phil Smith. I knew Evan well. Thought you might be interested. When I connected Richards name with the picture I remember him. My cousin, Chris Carr, forwarded an article about the 50-year reunion at PJHI would have loved to attended! Michael Massing The elite public policy and government school may have reversed course on Kenneth Roth, but its deep ties to Wall Street and Washington remain. I was afraid that survivors who had been trying their whole lives to get passed that day would be plunged right back in it by hearing the sounds again. http://angiejim.homestead.com/thenandnow.html, I wrote a comment on 9March when my son told me about Russ Buchanans website. I thought I might be able to click and drag it to the comment section but that didnt work. [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. \deftab720 I remember thinking, please dont put one of those things in my hair or on my clothes. Mary Jo Losso-Engle, Los Angeles, CA. I was sitting at a lunch bench at Montague Street School when I heard a shrill screaming sound that would simulate a missile. 8th and 9th grades. Also, why did your mom rush the two of you toward the disaster? Since I went to Pacoima 64-67, I missed him too. Since then I became a military pilot and have a greater understanding of flight along with the risks associated with flying. 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. I have a little bit to add to the story. Amazingly, a program in the school auditorium was being recorded, and the sounds of the crash can be heard here, as well as some eye-witness []. 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. Thank you for your posting the audio tape. Thanks for writing and for your kind words for the victims and their families. He was killed in the 1957 Pacoima mid-air collision . We couldnt get any further than the chain link fence surrounding the school. He was a Sabre Jet mechanic. Three students and . If you have a brother named Johnny then I think we were neighbors. 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. Coincidentally enough, my sister told me on the phone yesterday that she attended the San Fer reunion with her chum, Carol Crockett (maiden name). Russ, I just tried again and was able to play the clip with no trouble. Thank you very much for commenting and sharing the post with your family. God bless you all and thank you for sharing your stories. He had red hair and freckles, and a great sense of humor. Thanks for sharing, Russ. Im glad everything went well with your studies. If youre still having difficulty with it, let me know and Ill talk to WordPress about it.w. Hey Monk is there a way to email you then? Recently, I added the story of the Pacoima Junior High School plane crash, and profiled the eight people who were killed, using newspaper archives and websites like yours to tell their stories. I saw the planes collide mid-air. Russell- Yours is the first to tell about those scars from a mental health professionals point of view. A VERY SAD DAY AGAIN, WHEN WE LOST HIM MR. BUCHANAN WAS MY ENGLISH TEACHER AND A DARN GOOD ONE TOO.. First, thank you for the kind words about my dad. For those who have nightmares, I have always called them chase dreams. I used to have a lot of them, especially during my Paramedic years. Thanks for this site and the memories. She said when the noise of the plane went over her classroom the kids all dove under their desks, without anyone yelling Drop!, and two kids grabbed the blinds and closed them, while she stood at the front of the room stunned by the concussion outside, not knowing what to do. Thanks for the info. She said the plane crash and the neighborhood were in the movie. Clearly this photo was taken a few weeks after the crash. I was there too. Look in your email I wrote you. I watched Mr. Snyder cover his face when the flash occurred and turn away when the blast came. Little did I know that a plane had crashed at the school my brother was attending. I agree that the audio recording of the Pacoima Airplane Crash is an important bit of history, and that it should remain in the public domain easy to hear and free for long into the future. I just listened again and he could very well be saying jet blast. At any rate, it sounds a lot closer to jet blast than it was just loud and I thank you for the correction. I guess you figured the best way to keep those things airborne was to pilot them yourself. I was in the third grade. Both of my younger sisters attended the elementary school next door to Pacoima Junior High. I remember, like so many others that have written, the pieces of metal, bolts and whatever the pieces are of an exploded plane falling all around. What caused the plane to break apart must have been due to extreme speed going down and turning in all directions. the sky. Yeah. It was more information than I had ever heard about. If you were an 8th grader when this happened, you must be in your 70s now. It made an impact on me. Had no idea this existed. He thought he found it on fake Rent-A-Hitman site, feds say, Search continues after 3 sailors on Mexico-to-San Diego trip go missing amid rough seas. And then one of the guys pointed to the northeast and we caught sight of the F89 going down at probably a 45 degree angle and appeared to crash into the foothills(I think I heard later that it ended up in the La Tuna Canyon area). I am sure she did this out of pure fear and not knowing what to expect. Kris. Coincidentally enough, your brothers chum, Richard Berger, wrote in to this blog two days after you did. Today, I still have problems with low flying planes, which happens often in Littlerock, CA. 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. HI Russ He grabbed a jeep and took off for Terra Bella. If nothing else came from your efforts you should be satisfied that you helped out a survivor! Thanks, Im ok. I was just a tyke, but somehow I remembered your Evan connection and that he had red hair and freckles. I assume youre referring to Mark Maseks CemeteryGuide.com Stories Behind the Stones. The teacher on gate duty lead me and other kids back into a classroom. It was in the 7th or 8th grade that Kurt Adams, the co-pilot of the Scorpian Jet, the only survivor of either plane, came to my house and introduced himself. We lived on Varna Ave., 1.25 miles from Pacoima Junior High. The teacher yelled for everyone to huddle together in the middle of the classroom. Thank you for your input. My name is Nick Waite and I have managed to avoid being too public about the Pacoima plane crash (because it is not a very happy place to go). Suddenly, Mr. Snyder saw me and literally picked me up by the scruff of my neck and the seat of my pants and threw me back into my room and dove in behind me! Pretty amazing, considering that today that same brain cant even remember where it put its keys. I havent seen it in years. He had good social skills at an early age. The fire bells started ringing and we were led outside. Not long after that we moved to Northern California. Ill refer to to this site which Im sure she will find interesting. That had to be horrible.,God bless all who were inpacted. I still cry when I try to tell people what happened that day. Im glad I was able to provide a forum for a few of the witnesses and survivors. Many Pacoima JH alums have commented there. I heard a high pitched beeping sound behind me and turned around to see my dad, in a military jeep, making his way through the crowd. Our conversation focused on the plane crash. I remember how scared my brother and I were, I still can vividly see that that plane crashing. Valens was killed in a plane crash two years later, along with fellow rock 'n' rollers Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper as well as pilot Roger Peterson, when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza crashed near Mason City, Iowa, late at night of February 3, 1959. I attended Fernaneles Elementer, in sun valley 6 th grade. Thanks for your fascinating website, and for the chilling and haunting audio of the plane crash at Pacoima Junior High School. It was like Yesterday. I like you, remember the crash vividly. Within minutes we knew that it had been an airplane that crashed into Pacoima Jr. High School. I was injured and was told I was awake and running before I was hit but cant remember anything. When youre thankful that you were blown into a pool of hot airplane oil rather than being allowed to continue on your chosen path. This site has confirmed my memories of the crash. 55 years later and we who were there are drawn back to the memory. Send me an email address and Ill try to send the mp3 I made as an attachment. I thought the church was being bombed, Doris McClain, 27, told The Times. I turned around to see all the debri in the air. 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! did someone set them off or? Even though I never met Evan, I grew up hearing about what happened. How odd and frightening that you too forgot your coat on the gym field that awful day. RB, Russ, thanks for sharing. Yeah, I liked him too. I still watch El Encuentro now and then there is a lot of beauty in that work. One of the most interesting and enlightening comments yet. Against the sound of 800 frightened students and a distant fire bell, an unintelligible announcement is made on the P.A. Very powerful stories have been written here, and I hope that you may all find peace of mind and heart one day with regard to this tragic event. That led me to your site and all of the information everyone has added as comments. Fire, kids screaming, people from the neighborhood filling the school yard, emergency vehicles trying to get in. I googled the crash to see when it occurred and was brought to your article. I remember looking back at our teacher and seeing the light of the glowing explosion of flames on her face as she screamed in helpless terror. According to my sister, my mother and I were at the church next to the school when the plane exploded and sent an engine through the roof of the church. 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. I remember a thump then the screaming sound of the plane. I posted a comment on Russ Buchanans website some time ago asking anyone who was on the field that day to contact me. I think the rest of the classroom was reading. In summary, the disaster drill was a disaster. Cmdes thanks for commenting. I was five so I doubt I even knew what tin foil was. John was their bass player. Kris. It must have been a weird combination of terror and excitement, not to mention, a very abrupt and premature introduction to mortality. April 3, 1957; UK Tests a Hydrogen Bomb May 15, 1957; Little Rock Crisis I have never been there, this will be a first for me. June 15, 2015 at 7:15 am. It was loud enough (even though we were a few miles away) that we at first felt we were vulnerable. Unfortunately it was not well publicized and many more would have like to attend. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . Yes I saw Pam and Carol. It means a great deal to me. Since Id missed most of the 7th grade in Pacoima I had to start over in the 7th in Palmdale. Sister Pam here. He would pick up those black beetles crawling on the sidewalk on the way to Liggett elementary and torment kids along the way. It was so cold here recently, it made me think of the real, world-class cold I felt when we did your ballet in, what was it, 2008? My prayer to God is that everyone touched by this tragic event be touched by God in a special way to bring total healing. The first time I regained consciousness I was in a room with Lloyd Hopkins. It was so long ago and still a vibrant memory. As I looked out the window, almost instantly people came from nowhere. My mom came running out of the house, screaming for me to come home. Adams injuries were not critical and he was able to eject. to tell us that our father, William (Bill) Carr had died in a plane crash. Were you old enough to grasp the enormity of what had happened? Hope this clears up a question of rotary ect. I was 12 and I played guitar. Was there to your knowledge two events going on at the school? 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. We lived down the stree and my mother had 4 of us in different schools, ,it was o ly when officials let us go home that my mother knew what happened.just wanted to share tbis. May they Rest In Peace. Hey, Terry Im glad Gary was able to shine some light on that day for you. The two schools shared a common chain link fence about 10 feet high. They had come to the school because, of course, they had children there. He played it for us once. Good to hear from a neighbor I lived in one of the very nearby tract homes and was always impressed by houses like yours, with the gigantic yards and big ranch-style houses. Things were a mess on the other side of the fence from us. Two years after the Pacoima disaster, Valens was killed along with his fellow performers and tour mates, J.P. Big Bopper Richardson and Buddy Holly when their light plane crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa. Did your dad turn off the tape recorder, or did it shut off when the power failed? Evans mom, Irene Johnson Meddy Elsner was my grandma Ruth Johnson Launs cousin .. Later, there was some kind of dedication ceremony that my grandparents flew out to from Chicago. One day near the end of my involvement with the family, she said something about body parts, children running and screaming, and airplane. At least, I hope so. About 80 students stood in the schoolyard transfixed, watching the plane hurtle toward them. Also just recently read from another site that indeed coach Vardanien was there to help the wounded and later would be my PE teacher at Poly and a track coach at Poly. Your brother, with his lifelong fear of flying, is not alone. As I wrote above, he almost never spoke of the disaster. The next thing I remember is the crash. The last transmission from the co-pilot was from Archie Twitchell, an uncle of mine. In fact, Id be surprised if lots of kids and teachers on and near the campus didnt believe the same thing initially. Maybe that was the problem, because I opened an account to post here and then today, I was able to access the clip easily. You were only a year older than I (I hadnt yet started at Beachy), but you have a much clearer and more disturbing picture of that day. Yeah, I know what you mean about roots. He never forgot the sight he saw the rest of his life. I apologize. As you can see from the comments here, you are not alone. I lived over on Hadden Ave a little south of PJH. As I got older, I guessed that the jets that were coming and going were probably working the other incident, the downed Scorpion. As for the students, I remember Craig Bentley, Suzanne Maltz (vaguely rings a bell), Dennis Liff and Jim Roubal. Junk that changed our lives forever. PJH Student from the 60. Mark. Then we saw the smoke from impact. Then, when I got to Pacoima Jr. High the drills just stopped. I was on the field when the DC7 came down. Try again later. The History Guy made a report of this crash recently (July, 2018): Hi, Dan yeah, I checked it out. We mocked up an airliner fuselage out of wood and visqueen. Lana(Brosamle) Hale. I dont know what made look this up now, but Im glad I did. About the exams i have to tell you that you were totally right. My mom was pretty sore that my dad hadnt called her. I do remember seeing shiny pieces of metal falling from the sky, though. I was in 9th grade at Pacoima Junior High School, when the plane crash occurred.. when the schools power goes out and the recording winds to a stop. This Incident Command System has spread from the west coast to the east. When I started in the fire service everyone was expected to just suck it up, and as many of you know, its not easy!. At Beachy, I remember being in the classes of Mrs. Oshatz and Mr. Marto. I was able to talk to her about it a couple more times. Bill Ritchie, Photo no longer up, but I made paper photo copy of picture and sent to wordpress.com website for research purposes. The news of the crash spread like wild fire through the school even though we were miles away. Yes, my classroom was one row back from the fence dividing the two schools. John Vardanian was a PE teacher and track coach at Poly High at least through 1967 when I graduated. Id never heard of him before. I wish that there was more footage, pictures, audio, and varies stories recalling the events that took place that day available on the internet. An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. You were certainly an adventurous and inquisitive fourth-grader, werent you. Who knows? Accident If there is anyone else, please call me. If dad said more than ten words about it Id be surprised. Could you put me in contact with David? At impact I was blown over the bleachers and landed in a pool of hot oil. I remember the church yard, the Terra Bella school yard, and the playground covered with pieces of junk.
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