Im glad I was down, because there was an engine embedded in the asphalt 25 feet away in the same direction I was running. But still, Im pretty darned sure I did see it. Those sights would have been tough enough for any adult to handle, let alone elementary-aged kids. http://angiejim.homestead.com/thenandnow.html, I wrote a comment on 9March when my son told me about Russ Buchanans website. On that particular day, I was home with a cold. I remember discussing in class what had just happened, what we had just whiteness. I sat in the rear of the room closest to the back door. He was just a really good guy and very well liked. We heard a loud roaring sound and all of us turned toward the windows facing the courtyard. The news of the crash spread like wild fire through the school even though we were miles away. The Pacoima Mid-Air Collision. Most Fire and Police Departments, and EMS agencies have adopted post incident stress debriefing or counseling programs (late 1970s). STUDENTS CRYING, PARENTS SEARCHING FOR THIER CHILDREN, SHERE PANIC.. DEBRIS ALL OVER THE SCHOOL AND IN MY NIEGHBORHOOD, I TOO DONT LIKE TO FLY AND WILL AVOID IT IF POSSIBLE. I had forgotten that John Buchanan was her father. 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. The sky that direction was filled with an expanding ball of metal and debris. What was very strange, is that the tragedy connected us all to each other. And yes, you have my permission to use the audio in your classes. I always thought it would have been kinda fun to be in his class. There was a tree planted to honor each of the boys that were killed. We thought we had been bombed (by the Russians)nearby. A large part of the plane came through the roof of a little room just off the sanctuary (that I remember vividly). See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here. I was totally mesmerized by it. I felt connected to the terrible history. I like that guy. If nothing else came from your efforts you should be satisfied that you helped out a survivor! Are tere any photos of the site as it is today? 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. The impact was deafening, followed by fire and thick smoke. April 21 I went to my 50th San Fernando Class reunion. Our pastor, Rev Aaron L Powers was there helping parents find their children. [1] [2] [3] Accident [ edit] I have never been there, this will be a first for me. P.S. Is there an type of memorial to those who perished?y Bill Ritchie, From: Russ Buchanan To: billscessn99@yahoo.com Sent: Monday, March 9, 2015 3:23 AM Subject: [New comment] Pacoima Jr. High School Airplane Crash of 1957 (audio recording as it happened) #yiv7212670403 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv7212670403 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:link, #yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv7212670403 a.yiv7212670403primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv7212670403 WordPress.com |, Russ Buchanan commented: Hi Jill Pam often checks in to read the latest comments here. Hey Monk is there a way to email you then? Were you afraid of planes because of that event? Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. My sister and I lost touch with Cindy, his sister, in the late sixties. Needless to say, it was a rough few hours for my mom, who had learned of the crash but had to wait an excruciating two hours before dad called to tell her he and her daughter were OK. 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. My friend Donald Berizen was in his Boy Scout troop which was later named for him. A policeman came by later to see if I had come home. Our department decided to host a mass causality drill. What a relief! Then we saw the smoke from impact. Hey, Bob They are very much appreciated. I remember your father as an extremely nice man. In an odd twist of fate, a few years ago, I met a friend for a drink and there were 3 other patrons and the bar tender at the bar. Even people who lived a considerable distance away some who only read about it in the paper were profoundly affected. I remember her telling me that her mom was hanging clothes on the line to dry when all happened and part if one of the planes landed at her feet and didnt hurt anything. I just checked it on my iPad and it played fine. Thanks for the opportunity. I can still see him so clearly after these 58 years. How horrible was that! Thank you for your posting the audio tape. This really brings events of the day to life. It was loud enough (even though we were a few miles away) that we at first felt we were vulnerable. My recollection is that there were windows all along the wall of the library looking toward Pacoima Jr. Hi. The loss of life could have been so much worse. In summary, the disaster drill was a disaster. thousand pieces of metal falling from 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. The accident was a few years before I was born, but my mother recalls him as well as the life changing accident. 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. It seemed longer in person. It gave me chills and brought me back to that day on the field. I am a man now, not a kid. After reading the information I guess I was amazed at the life experiences especially involving the military that he had already accumulated when I knew him. Hello Russ, thank you for these pages. I owned a guitar, at any rate. Yours is one of the more terrifying accounts of that day. I cannot believe I came across this recording. 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. Thank you for your recollection. Oh my God this is something horrible, and i cannot even imageine the horror people who experienced the plane crash went through. At least on the LAFD my actions could make a difference and count. I found your Pacoima crash page very informative and well written. At impact I was blown over the bleachers and landed in a pool of hot oil. 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 []. Thank you for writing about your memory of that day. I wondered if I actually saw the debris in the air, but now I believe I did. Here it is in 2012 and we still talk about it. Hey Bill If you mean Beachy, I dont know. Thank you so much for your comment. My mother and friends mother were in the auditorium as well. 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 developed the Orange County Mass Casualty Plan as my class project. Hi, Dave Missing that day was pop star Ritchie Valens. 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. 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 had never flown on anything so this was to be my first flight. As I recall, scholarship awards from such organizations as the American Legion, Rotary Club, Lions, etc. It was something they didnt know about each other. Three students and . Mark Boone,David Jones and of course Ritchie Vallens (Richard Vallenswella) made our 9th grade year full of music..they would entertain us at lunch time.we were happy young people! She mentioned a couple of children by name (sadly I made no note of them). I think you have my email address Ill check. Yeah, the memories I have of that day are hazy I was only five. Whenever I play golf at Hansen Damn, I always try to drive through the old neighborhood. Thinking back it was rather eerie, like the sound of a plane plummeting out of the sky in a movie scene. Unfortunately Raymond was killed in a motorcycle accident in his twenties. We both got in trouble for running outside but I didnt care. Nice to think that the recording Russells dad made will be used this way:-). In 1957 a mid air collision over Pacoima Junior High killed 5 crew members, 3 children and injured 78. Thanks for commenting. Joseph, I knew your great uncle, Vito Galasso. There was a small courtyard between our building and the building next to us. Another living witness. I got As for some of them and got accepted into university to study dentistry which was my dream, so i feel like the nightmare i had was only so i could search it up and find this tragic accident. 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. I cannot tell you how the events of that day and this recording have stayed with me all these days. Certainly less frightening, but just as capable of creating lasting, disturbing impressions the sight of two aircraft plummeting to their doom and the human cost implied, would be enough to sear into anyones brain. I was in the 8th grade at Sun Valley Junior High and I was having lunch with 3 of my buddies. Your lifetime discomfort with flying seems to be a common thread among many who were personally affected by the crash including your chum, Richie Valens. Thanks again for providing such a helpful service for those who need it and thank you especially for your sensitive and very specific comments to each person who has written his/her account. Hi, Deb thanks for commenting. The only crew member of either plane to survive was Curtis Adams, radarman of the military fighter jet. 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. Thanks for commenting and for the attaboy. It would strictly be for my own use I wouldnt post it or use it in any other public way. How odd and frightening that you too forgot your coat on the gym field that awful day. The elementary school was next to Pacoima Junior HIgh. I was dripping, head to toe, from the oil and now walking with a limp rather than running. That day is still only yesterday and it was 57 years ago. I was an eyewitness to the carnage. Terry Brown, I am so happy that Terry Brown was contacted by Gary through your website! I can only imagine the horrors and the sadness you witnessed that day. Also, you might be interested in the Then and Now site about the crash. [blog I dont think Ill ever get used to that word. 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. He was lucky and only got a minor elbow injury. My physical injuries were minor, my clothes and jacket kept me from getting burned by the hot oil. I believe it was an engine that crashed through the roof of our church. The episode title is "Heaven Is In The Sky." There was more jet noise. Also, why did your mom rush the two of you toward the disaster? I had just turned five on the 16th of January and the plane flew right over me, raining down some sort of metallic confetti. Talk about different times. 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. I was in the auditorium (in the orchestra) as the soon to be graduates were rehearsing. Thanks for sharing, Russ. I went to Pacoima Jr. High in the mid-70s and remember some of my neighbors in Arleta speaking about it. 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. Thanks, Im ok. In this age of snark and quick (but rarely quick-witted) online posts, your blog is a gem. I thought we were being bombed so I immediately dropped to the floor and assumed the duck and cover position, remembers Pam. So, it is not hard to understand why you cling to each other even though it was many years ago. Thanks for contributing your vivid memory of that day. But he NEVER complains or asks why me?This recording is riveting. Thank God she made it back safely. 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. I sure miss that guy. Mike Russell, I posted my query a few years back, and Id like to post again in case there are new people following this thread now. After completing his shift, my dad pulled me (kicking and screaming) from under the desk. 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. The sound is a little different than I remember as the screaming of the plane fell to the ground. 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. The scenario was an airplane crash out of John Wayne Airport. Part of an engine crashed through the roof of the church auditorium, smashing windows and destroying that building. My sister and I would love to find Evans sister Cindy, but were not sure what happened to her after they moved to Oxnard. Our teacher yelled at the class to drop and cover. If that is what you have, it is miraculous that it survived this many years, and it happened to be recording that very minute. 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. 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