My brother was in the auditorium for graduation ceremonies, I was in the 4th grade on the playground for recess. My uncles story was one that has not been told and I think it added to your blog rather than detracting from it. those hospitalized in the air collision and crash of two airplanes in Pacoima: At San Fernando Hospital: Robert Curry, 12, 13722 Pierce St., Pacoima, broken left ankle and foot. I can only imagine moms reaction to Pams account of the crash. It was horrible . No sign of the crash, such as debris or bodies, was ever found. I think I was about a year after you. Looking backwards, connecting the dots, a very personal journey began on the morning of January 31st, 1957. Oh, my. About 80 students stood in the schoolyard transfixed, watching the plane hurtle toward them. Thanks for writing and for your kind words for the victims and their families. I assume youre referring to Mark Maseks CemeteryGuide.com Stories Behind the Stones. I was just a tyke, but somehow I remembered your Evan connection and that he had red hair and freckles. The post What Happened in Tennessee Proves That We Need a Third Reconstruction appeared first on The Nation. My father was a Los Angeles Policeman stationed at the Van Nuys Station. [citation needed], 7 Die as Planes Collide and One Falls in Schoolyard; PLANES COLLIDE, SCHOOL YARD HIT Roar Alerts Students 'Everything on Fire' Witness Describes Crash, "The day fiery disaster fell from the sky", "Childhood pal recalls Ritchie Valens as 'sweet,' 'tough' from California home", "On Pacoima Playground With Ritchie Valens: Grief Moves Him to Save Lives", "Ritchie Valens | Biography, Songs, Plane Crash, Donna, La Bamba, & Facts | Britannica", "The Definitive CBS Radio Workshop Radio Log with Parley Baer, Herb Butterfield and William Conrad", ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-7B N8210H Sunland, CA, CBS Radio Workshop, Episode "Heaven Is In the Sky", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1957_Pacoima_mid-air_collision&oldid=1136726390, Santa Monica Airport, Santa Monica, California, United States, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 20:52. I appreciated your comments. Archie Raymond Twitchell (November 28, 1906 - January 31, 1957) was a pilot for over three decades between the 1920s and the 1950s. Eight people were killed, including three students at Pacoima Junior High School. I remember the floor jumped. I was hoping someone would tell me what they remember. Gary. Sad time for all. Yeah, I know what you mean about roots. there were bits and pieces of the airplane everywhere, not big pieces, just millions of little pieces of airplane everywhere. It made an impact on me. I dont have any memories of the actual crash but two people said they saw me running so I know I was awake for part of it. (BTW, I believe the teacher tending to the kid, just a few moments later was Coach Vardanien). Your assessment of the situation at the school directly after the crash is chilling and sad. P.S. Thank you for posting this remarkable, memorable recording and retelling of the events on that fateful day. There was a huge part of the plane lying in the small church parking lot that bordered the east side, To the west, several of the elementary bungalows that skirted the playing field, mine included, were pocked with gaping holes where debris had torn through the fence and into the rooms.. A boy, his hair covered in hot oil, walked blindly along the fence. 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. Many found it very disturbing, which was good because they then had to go to work just like in real life. I remember the engine that landed on the schoolyard fence, the airplane door on the roof of a car across the street and the airplane seats everywhere. I realized I was only 3 years old. The first time I regained consciousness I was in a room with Lloyd Hopkins. He was just a really good guy and very well liked. I have been avoiding hearing the tape until today. Always liked Rusty. In summary, the disaster drill was a disaster. 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. He played it for us once. My name is Mark Masek, and Im the author of Hollywood Remains to Be Seen: A Guide to the Movie Stars Final Homes, a guidebook to find the final resting places of hundreds of Hollywood celebrities. Change). Ill go check out Mayday. Sounds like a good idea. But the recording captured the sound it made as if it were yesterday. 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. We were unable to find an existing triage system to use. If so, did you learn the identity of the teacher aiding the injured student? We thought we had been bombed (by the Russians)nearby. AS WE WERE RELEASED TO GO HOME THE SIGHT WILL NEVER LEAVE MY MY MIND. Thanks again. John 3:16 I just spoke with my Dad about seeing your website and he told me that when they learned of the crash near the school they ran over to find me. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. I really liked him a lot. Most memorable to me was the large black mushroom cloud of smoke immediately after impact. Im glad he is still alive to this day. He had red hair and freckles, and a great sense of humor. I think he once told me that he tried to aid one of the three then again, I may have conjured that up during my childhood. thousand pieces of metal falling from I think we were singing at the dedication of Pacoima Memorial Hospital. Well drawn memories like yours add dimension to the story and help to give those of us who werent there a better idea of the situation, awful as it was. 1 February 1957; Page 11; San Bernardino Sun, Volume 63, Number 132, 1 February 1957 Page 11. . The plane crash last month wasn't the first for Pacoima residents. Thank you for posting the recording. Look in your email I wrote you.RB | |. We drove home in silence. One of the most interesting and enlightening comments yet. For some god-forsaken reason, my mother scooped me and a my baby brother up, and we headed for the sight of the explosion. It was chaos on the field of the junior high school. Thanks again for posting as I commented once before. After school we went with my mom to pick up our baby sitter, her name was Joyce, I do not remember her last name, anyway, she lived on Laurel Canyon right across the street from the school I saw the devastation and will remember the incident the rest of my life. Eight months after this crash, our family of four boarded a Northwest Orient Airlines DC-7 to fly to Japan where we moved to live for four years. A little detour here. I checked google maps and found that my cousin lived about 17 miles away from the crash. 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. A few months ago I was listening to the recording for the zillionth time, and decided to put it up on the blog. I remember January 31, 1957, like it was yesterday. Always good to hear from a fellow Beachy-ite. The sound was a whisper at first and then it starting getting louder and louder and louder. 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. Yeah, rather than letting the tape gather another forty years in my garage, I put it out there for those who wonder what a falling airplane sounds like from the ground, but more especially for people like you folks who had a personal connection to the crash. Praying that all of those students injured who were injured (both mentally and physically) have been healed. I thought we were being bombed so I immediately dropped to the floor and assumed the duck and cover position, remembers Pam. I always thought it would have been kinda fun to be in his class. I googled the crash to see when it occurred and was brought to your article. I assume you went to Pacoima after Terra Bella. Ill shoot you an email. Ill check some of the comments and my correspondence for some other likely candidates. My mom came running out of the house, screaming for me to come home. My mom moved me to the other end of the valley because of the violence. .Am here after listening to Dearly Departed Episode #21 (time mark 01:41:48) where this incident is discussedThe recording is incredible. The pilot died in the crash. 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. She mentioned a couple of children by name (sadly I made no note of them). 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. [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. If any reader happens to know what exactly was going on in the auditorium at the time of the crash, please write. 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. Evan and I were in youth group together. The post I Felt That I Had Saved My Own Life: A Polish Womans Harrowing Story of Illegal Abortion appeared first on The Na []. Russ: I just read David Clevengers note about the crash. When they finally let us out of school with instruction to go home, we all went over to the Jr. high school to look. The only memories I have of the day were the metal bits raining down and my very nervous mother (my sister and father were both on campus when the plane came down). I have wondered if I really heard this, but after reading the other accounts on this site I am sure I did. I am still amazed at the vivid detail in yours and others accounts. It looked to me like what had happened was just on the other side of the houses across the street from the school. When I connected Richards name with the picture I remember him. Thanks for writing. I would be glad to send a copy of the audio there is no video to you in mp3 format. Although the DC7 was a prop plane, I seemed to have associated all forms of jet noise to the crash. 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. Unforgettable. They had come to the school because, of course, they had children there. When I first posted the crash audio and story, I wasnt sure what to expect. I was at my friend Pattis house, playing with her Moms box of buttons on the living room floor. We heard the crash and our windows shook. I remember seeing the pilot also. that terrible day. Needless to say, it was one heck of a day for mom. 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. 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. (LogOut/ Its been a while since I was in the LA school system. The more people who comment on this story, the more I understand how traumatic this awful event was for the kids who witnessed it. Elementary School. That day is still only yesterday and it was 57 years ago. An incredible bonding experience that lasted 50 years or more after graduation from high school. For those of you that read these comments and were at Pacoima Jr when the tragedy occurred maybe you can help me find this person. I ran inside my house and asked my mother what happened. Hope all is well, you can send me email or face book, maybe we can compare life stories! Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We were both waiting for our Dads to have cataract surgery. We lived on Varna Ave., 1.25 miles from Pacoima Junior High. Yes, my classroom was one row back from the fence dividing the two schools. Debris was also strewn across the grounds of Terra Bella Elementary School, adjacent to the junior high, and Pacoima Congregational Church, next door to the school. As a young childno. I was a Junior at Glendale High when this happened. I was only five at the time and many blocks from the school. We had to get under our desks. He now lives in Boulder City, NV. Heres why thats wrong. Today, I still have problems with low flying planes, which happens often in Littlerock, CA. Meanwhile, in Palmdale to the north . At Beachy, I remember being in the classes of Mrs. Oshatz and Mr. Marto. Someone ran into me and I fell down, Wallace Roger, 13, told a Times reporter. Ive heard from many that the school staff handled the situation exceptionally well. Stubborn bastard haha. Yeah, putting up this Pacoima crash page has proved to be an amazing experience. [4], The DC-7B, with a portion of its left wing shorn off, remained airborne for a few minutes. Thank you both for clearing up the graduation rehearsal/American Legion mystery. Im wondering if I had him as a teacher. The first kid to see it saw the impact flash. Many commenters on these pages were in nearby elementary schools when it happened. This site has confirmed my memories of the crash. My mother saved all documents, including an envelope with my Dads personal effects that he wore the day of the crash. The post Changes Everything appeared first on The Nation. Several times she came back to a pair of shoes. Youve come to the right place. And yes, you have my permission to use the audio in your classes. I think there was a lot of heroism on that day, but few names have been mentioned. Hundreds of mothers in the neighborhood were also running toward the school, all of them screaming as we all descended on the horrible sight. After completing his shift, my dad pulled me (kicking and screaming) from under the desk. The class had just started to file out for recess when the whine of the plane cought our attention. This 64 year old 2nd grader will never forget. After the crash I was in the hospital for several months. 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. ball of fire.and what appeared to look like Susy M Kay says: The next thing I remember is the crash. He was serious about educating his students and always had a very classy demeanor. For the most part, it seems the recording and the comments from witnesses/survivors have had a beneficial effect on those touched by that day. Everyone ran to the window to see and the teacher was trying to keep us in our seats. I was telling my son and his girlfriend just the other night about the crash. He had been working in the motor pool when the Air Base was alerted about the crash. And that Richie Valens died in a plane crash is so ironic and disturbing that it still gives me chills. Youre right, fate definitely was on your and your classmates side that day. I found this website with a bunch of newspaper clippings on the event. Thanks for your comment and attaboy, I appreciate it. Hi again, Terry I think it might be a good idea for you to browse the commenters at the Pacoima pages to find who you think might be a good candidate to help you remember. I was in the 9th grade in the orchestra practicing in the auditorium when this happened. He was in Kindergarden at the school next door to Pacoima Jr High. Thanks for commenting. And about those exams: STOP WORRYING. However, I figured with so many years having passed it would be alright. Killed in the crash were three Pacoima students, the pilot of the F-89 and the four-man crew of the DC-7, whose final words to traffic control were, Uncontrollablewere spinning over the Valley. Link to the other page
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 Scorpion burst into flames. The Eight Victims of the Mid-Air Collision and Crash in Pacoima Jan. 31, 1957 Jan. 5, 2013-- On Thursday, Jan. 31, 1957, at about 10:15 a.m. on a clear, sunny morning in Southern California, a Douglas DC-7B airplane, built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, took off from Santa Monica Airport on its first test flight.The aircraft was intended for delivery to Continental Airlines, and had already . Jul 6, 2018 | Lance Geiger, Show More Support The History Guy If you love history, this is the channel to support! Even though it was many years ago and I was very young, my memory is so vivid it takes people by surprise. I was in the 8th grade at Sun Valley Junior High and I was having lunch with 3 of my buddies. I recall that some kids were having some twisted fun at Craig Bentleys expense, spreading rumors that he had been intimate with a tree. I felt sick and light headed. Im not sure, but I think my sister knew Ronnie. Sherman Oaks proved to be worse mostly rich bitch snobs. Compared to the tape, the real thing probably seemed like an eternity. 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. Someone from school had called my mom to see if I had run home. Does anyone know who this kid is? We raced toward Terra Bella Elementary School where my brother, Jimmy, was a first or second grader. And, second, several years later at a reunion, Richard Williams told me he saw me get hit in the head. There was fire. In this age of snark and quick (but rarely quick-witted) online posts, your blog is a gem. I read the reports and listened to your Dads tape. Had no idea this existed. He would pick up those black beetles crawling on the sidewalk on the way to Liggett elementary and torment kids along the way. 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. Howerver, I did not ask permission to go out and get it, I just ran out, grabbed it and was not in the gym side door but a few seconds when the plane crashed. Hi, Deb thanks for commenting. 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. He was lucky and only got a minor elbow injury. Thanks Russ for posting this. There was more jet noise. Even though I never met Evan, I grew up hearing about what happened. 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. 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. Hopefully, we can wring something positive out of a terrible tragedy. My mother, Pauline Taylor, covered the story as a reporter for the Pacoima Post. My wife CeCe and I now live in Challis, Idaho. We were both very lucky that day. Nanci mentioned walking home from Beach Ave. elementary. As horrible as it was for the badly injured and, of course, the surviving families, had the plane slammed into the auditorium, with you, your mom, my father and a few hundred other souls inside, the devastation would have been too awful to imagine. What I remember next was the sound. I think we played poker a lot. Pacoima Jr. High School Airplane Crash of 1957 (audio recording as it happened) Photos accident date: 31-01-1957 type: Douglas DC-7B registration: N8210H Map This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network's opinion as to the cause of the accident. I WAS THERE AND WILL NEVER FORGET, I WAS IN THE AUDITORIUM. These pages have become a labor of love for me. 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! 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. I saw many students injuries on that day. That my blog performed such a solid, useful service in de-troubling him will definitely put a little more strut in my step. They were among Thats why you hear the tape speeding up at the end. June 15, 2015 at 7:15 am. TY for the thread and my best to all. She lived right on across the street from the school. just let me know. For some, a life-changer. Youre welcome. Many Pacoima JH alums have commented there. I was in 9th grade at Pacoima Junior High School, when the plane crash occurred.. If you mean Pacoima Junior, I saw it a few years ago and it still looks like the fine learning institution we knew. And of course was concerned as to the whereabouts of his family. I was in a special class at Montague Street School when it happened. In 2009 I was working as a behavioral specialist for the Summit County (Ohio) Juvenile Court. Interesting you said Wollensak.I can still see the cover of that reel to reel tape and it was 3M. Children were running and screaming. Thanks to those who have shared their thoughts here. Its crazy how she just said we have one life to live right before it happened. I would like to obtain a copy of the video it is really telling. I can only imagine the terror and bewilderment you and your classmates must have experienced in those moments. Another memory I have is of the television coverage. Small wonder. Your brother, with his lifelong fear of flying, is not alone. As far as I know, the law(s) still is on the books. 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. And when released from the auditorium, what we saw. As I looked out the window, almost instantly people came from nowhere. Not Hollywood, not L.A., not the country, Mexico deploys plane, ships in search for 3 missing U.S. sailors bound for San Diego, U,S. 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. 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. At five years old, though, I had no idea of what it meant. Things were a mess on the other side of the fence from us. Unfortunately it was not well publicized and many more would have like to attend. I remember where the drafting area was situated at Pacoima you and your classmates were darned close to the field. 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. You know, you are not alone in your memory of seeing the pilot gesturing from the cockpit. Embarrassingly enough, Ive never really thought about its continuation as a free, public-accessible document after Ive shuffled into the Great Beyond, or at least failed to maintain my account here for some other, less dramatic reason. 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. I listened to the recording. Like you, I was unsure whether I had actually seen what I remembered as shiny, tin foil-like bits of metal falling from the sky, or if Id somehow developed the memory from repeatedly hearing others accounts. I can talk about the experience, but right now Im shaking inside. I remember it as a warm day,bright sunny day,no clouds and you could see forever. 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