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! . Thinking of Evan and the other boys makes me wonder how their lives would have gone had fate been kinder. I saw many students injuries on that day. injuries. Thank you very much for getting in touch. I assume you went to Pacoima after Terra Bella. Id like to think that in his and the others final moments, a kind of calm acceptance came over them. If that is what you have, it is miraculous that it survived this many years, and it happened to be recording that very minute. Some kids hid under their desks, others dog-piled on the floor in front of the teacher, I was one of those. Terry Brown. We raced toward Terra Bella Elementary School where my brother, Jimmy, was a first or second grader. As I looked out the window, almost instantly people came from nowhere. At impact I was blown over the bleachers and landed in a pool of hot oil. http://www.joangushin.net/ThenAndNow.html. I was amazed to run across your recording of the sounds of that tragic day. After completing his shift, my dad pulled me (kicking and screaming) from under the desk. Russ, thanks for the time and effort to post and manage this thread. Trans-Iranian oil pipe line finished; . I was in the auditorium (in the orchestra) as the soon to be graduates were rehearsing. This time I remembered to crawl under the desk. As I got older, I guessed that the jets that were coming and going were probably working the other incident, the downed Scorpion. As you are probably aware, many credit your father for managing to avoid nearby buildings and preventing a much larger calamity. I hope you are composing these days. I was in 9th grade at Pacoima Junior High School, when the plane crash occurred.. I was in the third grade. Terrifying moments seem to go by in slo-mo. Upon arriving at the base, I guess he had a lot of explaining to do, because I sat in the jeep for a long time. It was chaos on the field of the junior high school. I think the rest of the classroom was reading. June 15, 2015 at 7:15 am. Later while I was in grade school I became friends with a girl whos brother was killed in the crash. Im glad everything went well with your studies. Hope you are doing well! Thanks for your recollection of that day. 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. No one involved with the family could offer any insight as to what she had experienced. I was on the field when the DC7 came down. A few years ago Id posted on Russ Buchanans website trying to find someone else who was on the field that day who could tell me what happened, I couldnt remember. I also was a student at Terra Bella Elementary School and witnessed the crash from my school room. We lived on Varna Ave., 1.25 miles from Pacoima Junior High. Thanks for your comment. Paul Morse, who passed away a few years ago, was a very close friend of my family. 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. In 1957, a plane collision crash killed seven people two pilots and two crew members, . Mary Jo (and Kathy) Losso. [citation needed], The 1957 crash was discussed on the May 19, 1957, episode of The CBS Radio Workshop (entitled "Heaven Is In the Sky"). Russell- I was just 6 years old and leaving kindergarten at Beachy Elementary School, just west of Pacoima Jr. Hi. HE PLAYED DURING LUNCH AND WHEN EVER ANY ONE WOULD LISTEN. The quality of the recording is surprisingly good, considering it was recorded on dads ancient Wollensak reel-to-reel and that it sat in our garage for decades. Russ, thank you for hosting this area where people who experienced the Pacoima plane crash can come to share and support one another. I read the reports and listened to your Dads tape. (BTW, I believe the teacher tending to the kid, just a few moments later was Coach Vardanien). I had two cousins, Kathy & Patricia Zeise, who were in class at Pacoima Jr High that day. 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. One more way the Buchanan family was connected to that grisly day. TY for the thread and my best to all. Even though it was many years ago and I was very young, my memory is so vivid it takes people by surprise. 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). Your old neighborhood brought up memories for me. Hi, Alan 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. They had come to the school because, of course, they had children there. By the way, in the audio recording you have, to me it sounds like the school official is saying: It was a jet blast. 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. Hi Shirley thanks for your account of that day. The wailing sound of the plane coming down alerted us on the gym field and allowed many of us to take protective measures such as running away from the expected impact area. Is there any recent into or people who were on the field then that you could send me? Ill shoot you an email. The DC7 had the outer wing clipped off.out further than the outboard engine. 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. From one Poly high alum to another, I really appreciate the thanks at your sign-off; I am now more convinced that posting this story/recording was a good thing to do. Interestingly enough, my dad worked as a jet mechanic at the Air Force base where the Scorpian Jet flew out of. .. It was a warm day and our teacher had both doors to the classroom open. 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. Yeah, that is one stunning little piece of Valley history like an audio time capsule. My physical injuries were minor, my clothes and jacket kept me from getting burned by the hot oil. Pamela Carr Wolfson. She was in the church office with her 18-month-old daughter, Kathy. Another part of the story is that Russ and our mom had been at the Pacoima Congregational Church, just next door to PJH, earlier that morning. I had chills up my spine when I heard your recording, like it was yesterday. It sounds like you saw what I saw the falling metallic confetti which is just about all I remember from that day (I was the same age as you). Ah, the good old days. She never remarrried, and celebrated her 94th birthday this month. killing all 128 aboard on both of . Terry Brown (916) 364 0440. Arleta/Pacoima will ALWAYS be my home. Joseph, I knew your great uncle, Vito Galasso. I was only five at the time and many blocks from the school. 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. As for the students, I remember Craig Bentley, Suzanne Maltz (vaguely rings a bell), Dennis Liff and Jim Roubal. 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 was 12 and I played guitar. \f0\fs22 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0 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). There was more jet noise. So please try to keep the memories alive. I had forgotten that John Buchanan was her father. 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. I too remember seeing debris in the sky. I remember looking out the window of the classroom that overlooked the field of the junior high. Apparently, the plane he flew on 1Jan57 had taken off from Palmdale and my dad was at work that day. Just a quick note, Russ. Hi Jill Pam often checks in to read the latest comments here. 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. that terrible day. I checked google maps and found that my cousin lived about 17 miles away from the crash. Thank you for your posting the audio tape. Ill tell her you said hello. I knew that they were going to have to clean more than the fence. When they finally let us out of school with instruction to go home, we all went over to the Jr. high school to look. 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). Even though I never met Evan, I grew up hearing about what happened. Yeah, a few other commenters wrote about either being sprayed with hot oil or seeing other kids covered with the stuff I wonder if they were remembering seeing your uncle. I dont know if that contributed to my career decisionbut I suspect that tragic event and being too young to help may have somehow led me to the LAFD. I looked across to the other building and saw a teacher named Mr. Snyder. At PJHS, I was good friends with John Ritoli who played with a band called the Showmen. Are tere any photos of the site as it is today? Poly High was my next stop, where I managed to stay until graduation. Hi Phyllis He told me Douglas Aircraft offered his folks some token settlement and its too bad they didnt know better than to sign off. The post Can Elly Schlein Pull Italy to the Left? Missing that day was pop star Ritchie Valens. Wow. We were taken back in to the class room and waited for a long time. 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. I was in Mrs. Coughlins class. Elementary School opened and I had to go there. I joined Newport Beach Fire Department in 1971. The Scorpion burst into flames. Ill check some of the comments and my correspondence for some other likely candidates. I can only imagine the horrors and the sadness you witnessed that day. There was a tree planted to honor each of the boys that were killed. And when released from the auditorium, what we saw. One of my Facebook friends living in Dahlonega, GA posted an article about the plane crash that killed Ritchie Valens. I read every word from every poster and I feel as if I know you. Halfway through the recording immediately after graduation speakerLinda Latrelle says We have only one life to live the DC-7 can be heard plummeting into the schools athletic field just a few hundred feet from the auditorium. Hi Marilyn, I too remember you! This does make me feel pretty darned good and proud of my Pacoima pages. The event is depicted in the film La Bamba, the 1987 biopic of rock 'n' roll figure Ritchie Valens, who was a 15-year-old student at Pacoima Junior High School at the time of the disaster. (And I hope you dont mind that I included a link to your page.). After just watching The Ritchie Valens movie again, I binged this site. At least on the LAFD my actions could make a difference and count. Also, I think a number of other contributors here remembered seeing you that day. He ran as fast as he could from the sound he said. Come to find out, with the exception of me, all were native Southern Californians. In short, my opinion is.GREAT JOB, MY FRIEND!!! I actually ended up on this page because i had a nightmare about me sitting in a plaine while it crashed in my school, and first when i google it i ended up on this page : http://dreammoods.com/cgibin/dreamdictionarysearch.pl?method=exact&header=dreamsymbol&search=plane about dream symnols interpretation, and actually its no wonder it crashedinto school since i feel so streesed about my exams and getting accepted into a university. 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. Talk about different times. I remember thinking, please dont put one of those things in my hair or on my clothes. I didnt live close to the event but was scheduled to fly on a United DC7 on Feb. 2nd to boot camp on the East coast. But, you may recall, you posted your comment on the Eyewitness to the Carnage A Personal Account of the 1957 Pacoima Crash page, not the page containing Pacoima Jr. High School Airplane Crash of 1957 (audio recording as it happened). Terrified, I couldnt even budge. locker rooms, I started searching for our dad. Yeah, Ill bet that was a difficult sound to shake. I recall recall seeing a huge This crash and another (DC7 and Connie midair over the Grand Canyon July 1956) put the fear of flying into me. But only send me the copy if its easy for you to do. I was in the 9th grade in the orchestra practicing in the auditorium when this happened. Gary. Thanks for your interest. Then we saw the smoke from impact. What was your memory of that day, were you injured, did the wreakage resemble a plane? (LogOut/ It seemed to take a long time to come down. I watched Mr. Snyder cover his face when the flash occurred and turn away when the blast came. There was a small courtyard between our building and the building next to us. I also included a link to your website. Im not sure, but I think my sister knew Ronnie. From one Poly High alum to another: Thanks for your perspective on that day. I remember it as a warm day,bright sunny day,no clouds and you could see forever. During our post incident review, we tried to figure out what would be the best way to triage patients. The community calls for the redevelopment of the . I am 73 yrs old now and live in Tulsa,Okla. In fact, the thought that those sons or daughters might be traumatized by hearing the recording almost kept me from posting it. Source: https://russellbuchanan.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/pacoima-jr-high-school-airplane-crash-of-1957-audio/Recording owner: Russ Buchanan During the next few days after, the.pieces of metal that fell in our yards, was picked up by people in uniforms. On that day I was in 4th grade and in my classroom when we all heard the DC-7. She gave me Carols email as she lives in Simi as does my sister and she seemed like someone I would like to get to know better. We thought we had been bombed (by the Russians)nearby. I was not hurt. guess it really doesnt matter however. I cannot believe I came across this recording. I only got to watch it for a few seconds. I can still see him so clearly after these 58 years. Now it makes me think of your father too (but in a good way). The most incredible image of all was the open window in the cockpit area with smoke coming out of it and what appeared to be the pilot with his head partially out. Actually, played might be overstating it somewhat. I have your email address here. Unfortunately, I havent a clue what the answer is. But strangely, that is all I remember. Debris on the Pacoima Junior High School Athletic Field. We watched the helicopters for the rest of the afternoon, flying back and fourth with stretchers on each side carrying the dead and injured (they looked like the helicopters from M.A.S.H.). 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. 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. I thought I might be able to click and drag it to the comment section but that didnt work. How do you know youre having a horrible experience? The young lady was living with her mother who had significant mental health issues of her own. 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. You reminded me that my sister, who happened to be at the P.E. I didnt know you were going through a similar hell worrying about dad. The post Does the Harvard Kennedy School Serve the Peopleor Power? I see the screaming kid writhing in pain with his intestines protruding. I was in the 4th grade at Montague that day. Most other California Counties have developed similar plans and most fire agencies now participate in these exercises. Nuts and bolts and debris began to rain down on roof, but nothing that was large enough to cause any damage. She wanted to tell us about the crash before anyone else at the school. I was dripping, head to toe, from the oil and now walking with a limp rather than running. This scene was horrific seeing your classmates injured and scared. I was soaked in oil, my heavy coat was ripped up from flying bits of metal but had no real injuries. 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 dont know if he did that in order to see better or to be able breathe. 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. 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. With all the illuminating and often soul-bearing comments from those who witnessed/survived the crash terrifyingly close, its easy to forget that there were many more people in the surrounding areas who saw the tragedy unfold in a completely different way. So far, the responses suggest that listening to the tape and commenting about it has been helpful to many, if only because the post offers a forum where they can get their feelings about that day off their chests. I would like to obtain a copy of the video it is really telling. We attended the 50 yr memorial and tree planting at the school Jan. 31, 2007. I still remember seeing a great deal of plane parts scattered across the gym field. That led me to your site and all of the information everyone has added as comments. Pretty amazing, considering that today that same brain cant even remember where it put its keys. As it completed the turn, the jet slammed into the wing of a DC-7B transport plane returning to Douglas Aircrafts Santa Monica plant on a routine test run. Thanks for commenting and for the attaboy. Fortunately, you ran in the right direction. I was in class, a distance from the ball fields, but we saw the flash and thought it was a bomb. and when my mom heard about the crash.. and how close it was she left work and came home..she had a lot of neighborhood friends whos kids were there. I looked at the newspaper page showing the pictures of those of us who were injured and saw mine and his. Indeed, I owe a very heartfelt thanks to your dad my sister and dad were in the classrooms, and my mother and I were in one of the houses. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. About 80 students stood in the schoolyard transfixed, watching the plane hurtle toward them. Thanks for the opportunity. I remember that day too. 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. Your account is the first Id heard about Berger and his music therapy pulling him through ah, the power of music. 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 . Yeah, I know what you mean about roots. I think for me it was validating. 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. Yeah, the memories I have of that day are hazy I was only five. Someone at Madison might have recorded CBS (I think) broadcast of the recording decades ago or maybe my dad distributed copies to schools in the area. 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. Karen Bakken. My prayer to God is that everyone touched by this tragic event be touched by God in a special way to bring total healing. Then, the thought came to me that these guys had something to do with the crash. The news of the crash spread like wild fire through the school even though we were miles away. Of course, none of us knew how to play so our poker sessions were quite long and involved. 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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. I was doing some research on this so thanks for posting the information. I dont know if this is accurate, but it was what I was told at the time. The program we developed is known as START (Simple Triage And Rapid Transport). We were still in the classroom and the teacher must have been scared to death. The elementary school was next to Pacoima Junior HIgh. Except I went to Pacas (Pacoima for those Sherman Oaks folks) in the mid-60s. 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. The sound became a scream and I froze along with everyone in my classroom. 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. I sent him an email link to your site to see if he remember it. Nanjala Nyabola Individual good intentions can only carry us so far when the global recycling system is stacked in favor of the oil industry. 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. I was attending near-by Fernangeles Grammar Achool and remember that day vividly. Richard noted he was in the Valley Hospital and, as I recall, I was too. Although the DC7 was a prop plane, I seemed to have associated all forms of jet noise to the crash. Those sights would have been tough enough for any adult to handle, let alone elementary-aged kids. I read that many people wrote that the school has done nothin to remember the accident, and i want to really tell you Russ Buchanan what a great thing you are doing. Ill refer to to this site which Im sure she will find interesting. Russ, Needless to say, it was one heck of a day for mom. At the sound of the DC-7 during its high speed descent (a sound I will never forget and I can remember it vividly as though it happened yesterday), all of us students and the teacher rushed to the windows. 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. He would have loved to hear that you remembered him as a darn good teacher over 50 years later. What you mean about roots this area where people who were injured and mine... 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