Later that afternoon when my father came home, we drove to the seen. My kids were watching La Bamba with me and I told them what had happened and my youngest son James (whos very sensitive cried about it). Yeah, I liked Pacoima too a true melting pot, and we all got along pretty darned well, cholas, cholos and paddies, alike. My Great Uncle Mike aka Mike Galasso was in this. to tell us that our father, William (Bill) Carr had died in a plane crash. I was 12 and I played guitar. The California Fire Service has an organization known as FIRESCOPE which was tasked with developing and implementing the fire service Incident Command System (ICS). Have you disabled it? Thanks for commenting. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . I have often wondered what my dad did during the initial moments and after. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. We heard the noise going over us, in the direction of the Junior High. I just checked and your comment is there. Ill tell her you said hello. As I got older, I guessed that the jets that were coming and going were probably working the other incident, the downed Scorpion. At least on the LAFD my actions could make a difference and count. In my mind he was waving frantically for us to get out of the way. My little brain was going a hundred miles an hour. 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. By now there seemed to be hundreds of people in the crash area. Heres why thats wrong. The sky that direction was filled with an expanding ball of metal and debris. Hundreds of mothers in the neighborhood were also running toward the school, all of them screaming as we all descended on the horrible sight. I think we were singing at the dedication of Pacoima Memorial Hospital. If not, I have yours and Ill send it to you. God bless you all and thank you for sharing your stories. The image of a hunk of metal slicing through an elementary school classroom is terrifying. Today is the 57th anniversary of the plane crash; I think about it every January 31st. An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. You are providing a valuable piece of history to your childhood community. This site has confirmed my memories of the crash. Oh, and who was Richie Valens best friend I know it was one of the boys that died but who was it. IIt was making a screaming noise and then I heard a crash. 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. Thank you for adding your vivid account to the discussion. I appreciated your comments. Hi Shirley thanks for your account of that day. {\fonttbl\f0\fmodern\fcharset0 Courier;} . We watched while it flew out of sight and finally the plume of smoke. I was in 9th grade at Pacoima Junior High School, when the plane crash occurred.. They were frantically climbing over the fence to get into the gym field to help. Deb McKay (Cabeen, then). As I looked out the window, almost instantly people came from nowhere. [] event can be seen here. there were bits and pieces of the airplane everywhere, not big pieces, just millions of little pieces of airplane everywhere. As a Pacoima alum, I remember there were many fire boxes (break glass, pull lever) throughout the school. We both remembered where we were when the plane crashed in Pacoima Jr High. Thanks again, Sheryl. It was loud enough (even though we were a few miles away) that we at first felt we were vulnerable. My major was in Human Resource Development. I cant believe I came across this posting. On a lighter note if you are the Garth Rodriguez I think you are, you were the lead singer in one my very first bands. Mary Jo Losso-Engle, Los Angeles, CA. At Every high school reunion we have a pre-party on Friday night and all of the men/boys sit around the table and tell their stories about that day. This comment is for Allen Hester. We have been married 35 years. appeared first on The Nation. I remember seeing the pilot also. Hello, Pamela Talk about different times. Your dadwherever he ismust be very proud of you, because its clear that you hold gently and carefully the hearts of those who experienced this event. I remember seeing a couple of kids from the junior high that were lingering by the fence in the field. All three of the boys were considerably younger than he, but its certainly possible. Looking backwards, connecting the dots, a very personal journey began on the morning of January 31st, 1957. Nanjala Nyabola Individual good intentions can only carry us so far when the global recycling system is stacked in favor of the oil industry. In fact, Id be surprised if lots of kids and teachers on and near the campus didnt believe the same thing initially. Do you remember a little girl who lived across the street named Nancy? Gasoline was spraying all across the field. I just checked it on my iPad and it played fine. A large part of the plane came through the roof of a little room just off the sanctuary (that I remember vividly). I can still see him so clearly after these 58 years. I was walking out the school gate when I heard and then saw the DC 7 crashing. Our big issues revolved around determine which patients should be transported first and how much treatment should be done at the scene prior to transport. So one link lead to another and as I read all of the stories, it brings tears to me! We didnt know if the plane parts had landed in the elementary school classrooms. Thanks for commenting. My friend Donald Berizen was in his Boy Scout troop which was later named for him. 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. He was not happy with my behavior. I had never flown on anything so this was to be my first flight. Related to the 1957 crash, I was 5 years old and playing on my parents front porch. But now, thanks to Gary blanks filled. Had no idea this existed. Unfortunately, I havent a clue what the answer is. 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. I think it may have been city council. Linda made another speech that day. I didnt look up, but I remember the horrible loud sound, like nothing natural, and then the crash and the earth shook. Against the sound of 800 frightened students and a distant fire bell, an unintelligible announcement is made on the P.A. Thanks for writing. And i am also very shocked how people were not more clever at that time that they tested planes over areas that were populated, i mean its not like the technology was better before and yet they didnt seem to think further and let such things happend. Three students and . Even though I never met Evan, I grew up hearing about what happened. 1 February 1957; Page 11; San Bernardino Sun, Volume 63, Number 132, 1 February 1957 Page 11. . Little fellow well, I suppose we all were little back then, but he was littler. After wed been there for a while a man named Kurt Adams came to see me.he told me he was the navigator that ejected from the jet and the only survivor of the two planes. Im not sure if any of the commentors here are depicted in the clippings, but it should prove an interesting read. Actually, played might be overstating it somewhat. Regarding dangerous test flights: As I understand it, Pacoima parents spearheaded a successful drive to enact legislation banning future test flights over densely populated areas. Thanks for commenting. All of us at the fence line knew children were hurt and killed. God bless, Russ, I was tossed into the jeep and we got out of there. It is perfect as the scenario is an air crash. 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). 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. Even though the comments here concern a tragic day in the old neighborhood, reading them reminds me of my old stomping grounds and what a terrific place it was to spend my first 17 years. The police and ambulances finally arrived in droves, driving on sidewalks and front lawns to reach the school because the roads were clogged with frantic parents. As soon as it disappeared on the horizon a large black plume of smoke appeared. RB, Russ Is the school still there and has the neighborhood changed much? I googled the crash to see when it occurred and was brought to your article. wow that sent chills. Your account is the first Ive heard of the tape being played on the radio, though it makes perfect sense. 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. Im curious, did the sound on the recording sound like what you remember hearing? I plan to visit the site, hopefully in the afternoon of June 4. Who knows, I may have completely repressed those memories. 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. My memory does not allow me to recall what they said. That my blog performed such a solid, useful service in de-troubling him will definitely put a little more strut in my step. 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. I would like to obtain a copy of the video it is really telling. Since then I became a military pilot and have a greater understanding of flight along with the risks associated with flying. Dave. Thanks, Im ok. I was assigned a family with a 16 year old girl who had run away from home. http://www.joangushin.net/ThenAndNow.html. I am now teaching disaster response to emergency services and, with your permission, would like to utilize the recording in my classes. Needless to say, it was one heck of a day for mom. I was 6 years old at that time and I still have my class photos of May 1956 and 1957 if anyone is interested. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. They were very good and practiced all the time. A taller boy, standing to my right, said look there is a leg. I said if that is a leg, then where is the rest of the I then began to see more. My heart goes out to any and all who experienced this disaster. Ive often wondered if the offspring of those killed on that awful day would one day visit this site. 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? We were on the playground and looked up. Hi, Alan There is the webpage http://www.youtube.com, and i think it would be so great if the audio recording was put in there too. [citation needed], The 1957 crash was discussed on the May 19, 1957, episode of The CBS Radio Workshop (entitled "Heaven Is In the Sky"). Ill relay this web site to him. To be honest even after sheeding tears i still cant stop whenever i think about these kids. Thank you for your posting the audio tape. The May 19, 1957 episode of The CBS Radio Workshop ("The Theater of the Mind") was a discussion of this crash, including interviews with people who were witnesses and/or affected by the crash, including Ronnie Brann's mother and a close friend. Im so glad you were able to remember the coachs name Coach Vardanien. Mark. I thought I might be able to click and drag it to the comment section but that didnt work. Ill be back soon. where my dad worked for Lockheed. Joseph, I knew your great uncle, Vito Galasso. Thank you for complimenting my youthful selfs social skills. A part of the plane actually did land in the middle of the church, but no one was hurt. I remember January 31, 1957, like it was yesterday. I realized I was only 3 years old. Like Randal said, I did not know where it crashed till I got home. When the plane hit I was running. 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. We couldnt get any further than the chain link fence surrounding the school. So, it is not hard to understand why you cling to each other even though it was many years ago. Sister Pam here. Since you obviously have a much more personal connection to the story and the events of that day, Id like to know what you think of my version, and if you or anyone else involved has any comments, corrections or suggestions. One minute into the recording, the faint-but-unmistakable sound of a rapidly descending aircraft crescendos into a roar of crashing airplane, immediately followed by the sounds of confusion and fear in the auditorium. Our scenario was crop duster versus military troop transport. When I left that day, I searched for information on such an event and found the reports of the midair collision that led to this story. I believe Evan was in one of dads classes. In January 1957, a Douglas DC-7B collided with a U.S. Air Force F-89 jet over the San Fernando Valley. Thank you, My Mom rushed across the street to get me, a little irritated with me it seemed. I think we played poker a lot. Hi, my distant cousin was Evan Clark Meddy Elsner who was killed as a result of this crash. I was just 6 years old and leaving kindergarten at Beachy Elementary School, just west of Pacoima Jr. Hi. Lana(Brosamle) Hale. Very good question. Yours is one of the most illuminating and gut-wrenching accounts of the Pacoima crash Ive yet read. The young lady was living with her mother who had significant mental health issues of her own. Trans-Iranian oil pipe line finished; . I was there too. Their names were Albert Pardo and John Sain, she said. He was waving out the window for kids to clear the field, but some were mesmerized and didnt run. It means a great deal to me. I remember that day too. 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. Appreciate any comments. This really brings events of the day to life. It made me think of the crews that had responded to the real thing in Pacoima. 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. My Father, Bill Carr, was the pilot of the DC-7. I know three students died. I would like to listen to your audio recording, but havent been able to make it work. I was 5 years old. What I saw Ill never forget. It was my seventh grade classmates that were on the field that day. I turned around to see all the debri in the air. were often part of the proceedings. and Garber, so our vantage points were probably quite similar. My sister was in the elementary school right next to the gym field. I was attending near-by Fernangeles Grammar Achool and remember that day vividly. [1][2][3] Contents 1Accident Off to one side, a large plane engine lay embedded 15 ft down in the Earth, smoldering with an acrid fume. 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. Yes, not only do people remember that day, but it seems to be etched in the memory of many. I knew that they were going to have to clean more than the fence. I feel so bad for the co pilot..when he said in his last radio message Told you we should of brought chutes, Good- by everybody That kills meMy God I hope he did not suffer. Airplane debris from the mid-air crash over Pacoima Junior High on January 31 . Terry Brown. I dont know when he passed on. My job was to help families deal with severe emotional and behavioral issues that were keeping them in the cycle of poverty, substance abuse, crime, etc. 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. Russell- I wonder what ever happened to Roy Reasoner? 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. Only one of them had a sibling at the Junior High that day, who was unharmed. Our teacher ordered us under the tables thinking it was a nuclear attack. Then we saw the smoke from impact. I bailed out of the jeep, ran out of the hanger, and ran down the tarmac. . Russ Ive read this from your website and only now listened to the recording My God.. We saw the plane actually come down and crash in the gym field.A huge billowing cloud of Black smoke and orange fire Lit up inside of our classroom. Except I went to Pacas (Pacoima for those Sherman Oaks folks) in the mid-60s. Im working on a book about the Pacoima crash, surrounding events and people. Are you going to go to Pacoima when you get out of sixth grade or is sixth grade now in middle school? Please contact me here if you have any information on Cindy. The teacher yelled for everyone to huddle together in the middle of the classroom. We didnt know till we got hime what had happened. I was in the Auditorium as a B 9th grade student. There were other people there, it was oily and a lot of debris. Mark Littleton. April 21 I went to my 50th San Fernando Class reunion. 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 was not hurt. If your husband decides to listen to it, I hope it helps. An incredible bonding experience that lasted 50 years or more after graduation from high school. Fascinating and, considering the effect her unresolved feelings might have had on her daughter, very sad. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited]. I was in the auditorium (in the orchestra) as the soon to be graduates were rehearsing. At the very least, it seems I would have remembered how shook up my mother was her husband (teacher) and daughter (student) were at Pacoima JHS that day. My mother and friends mother were in the auditorium as well. I heard the planes roar as it went directly over my head, just above the trees. [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). By the way, Im not sure how your comment wound up appearing as if it came from me, but Ill look into it. Terrifying moments seem to go by in slo-mo. But the recording captured the sound it made as if it were yesterday. Plus a few others Mrs. Aldritch, my kindergarten teacher, Mr. Simpson (I think), my first grade teacher and Miss Christie, second grade, who tried desperately to get me to switch from being left handed to no avail. The Paramedic system was new and I graduated in the 6th Paramedic class in 1975. Thanks, Knight. [6][7] Recurring nightmares of the disaster led to Valens' fear of flying,[8] which he overcame after he launched his music career. I cant tell you how much this website has affected me. In fact, during my young adult years I flew a great deal and almost always enjoyed the experience. I remember looking up and the sky being filled with what appeared to be confetti, debree from the crash. I was trying to imagine seeing what you saw at the tender age of a fourth grader. I remember when i was 12 and the dreams i had and how im now getting to fullfill them if i get accepted into university.I know maybe for you alot of other replays here are more interesting than mine since they seem to be from people who are from around your area or the tragic accidents. Junk that had been an DC-7 airplane, junk that had hurtled from the explosion, junk that maimed and killed our friends. It must have been a weird combination of terror and excitement, not to mention, a very abrupt and premature introduction to mortality. Terry Brown, I am so happy that Terry Brown was contacted by Gary through your website! I was in class, a distance from the ball fields, but we saw the flash and thought it was a bomb. My family was two houses from yours. The teacher on gate duty lead me and other kids back into a classroom. Praying that all of those students injured who were injured (both mentally and physically) have been healed. My brother Marvin and sister Delores were at the school and my sister was in the auditorium at the time of the crash. I really liked him a lot. Terrified, I couldnt even budge. I really even though im born 1993 and that is like many decades after the crash, i really feel horrible after searching about it and especially after seeing the photos of the 3 victims. Well she was right. When I first heard the audio, that phrase, We have one life to live, jumped out at me almost seemed like a premonition. System was New and i graduated in the elementary school classrooms or is sixth or... 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