My Mom rushed across the street to get me, a little irritated with me it seemed. 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. How on earth did I just remember that I cant even remember where I put the keys an hour ago?) Of course, none of us knew how to play so our poker sessions were quite long and involved. Ah, the good old days. Valens was not at school that day because he was attending the funeral of his grandfather. I wonder what made the Fire bells to go off? 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. I had found a picture of Pam B. and 3 friends at HER Pacoima Jr High grad day, June of 1959 and brought it to the reunion with me. I hope you were able to contact each other. 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. And now to again read the article and hear the recording how remarkably intact some memories can remain. Thanks Russ for posting this. 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. I read that some of Valenss friends were killed when that plane touched down. Sometimes people there go from one video to another suggestion, and that will help reach out to many people who were not even searching it up in the first place. HE PLAYED DURING LUNCH AND WHEN EVER ANY ONE WOULD LISTEN. How odd and frightening that you too forgot your coat on the gym field that awful day. I think it may have been city council. Thank you very much for getting in touch. Moment later a student barged into the room to tell of the crash and the pilot para hooting. 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. And yes, please, feel free to include the link. John was their bass player. 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. Sincerely, Susan Masters Kowalewski, Batavia, Illinois. The DC7 had the outer wing clipped off.out further than the outboard engine. This time I remembered to crawl under the desk. http://angiejim.homestead.com/thenandnow.html, I wrote a comment on 9March when my son told me about Russ Buchanans website. I found this blog while Google searching for information about that crash. So after that i googled plane crash school and this tragic airplane crash was the first that came up. All four crew members of the DC-7 died in the crash, as did the pilot of the F-89. After just watching The Ritchie Valens movie again, I binged this site. Was it the same recording I have here? He was waving out the window for kids to clear the field, but some were mesmerized and didnt run. locker rooms, I started searching for our dad. I had never flown on anything so this was to be my first flight. Here it is in 2012 and we still talk about it. We got in the car and drove to the Pacoima Junior High. Ill check some of the comments and my correspondence for some other likely candidates. 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. Whenever I play golf at Hansen Damn, I always try to drive through the old neighborhood. I always remembered it in my mind, but this was the first time I heard it againamazing, its just the way I remembered. 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. We didnt know if the plane parts had landed in the elementary school classrooms. I think this makes you my homey, Susan. It was so long ago and still a vibrant memory. But now, thanks to Gary blanks filled. Actually, played might be overstating it somewhat. He probably took the reel of tape directly from Pacoima to his gig at the station that day for broadcast. About 80 students stood in the schoolyard transfixed, watching the plane hurtle toward them. Rusty was popular with the ladies. We attended the 50 yr memorial and tree planting at the school Jan. 31, 2007. Of course we didnt know what all had taken place until after we got home from school as communication in those days was nothing like today. I have read that there are laws against testing flights obove populated areas and that they must be tested over sea. 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. 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. I had forgotten that John Buchanan was her father. 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). I am grateful. There were other people there, it was oily and a lot of debris. I just wanted to bring you up to date on this very historic and important audio you are allowing us to use for the disaster drill this summer. As you can see from the comments here, you are not alone. I agree terrific site, very informative. John 3:16 These pages have become a labor of love for me. He was a captain in the US Army Air Force. May I have permission to post your link onto a Facebook page called, https://www.facebook.com/groups/59234735717/, as well as my own? I can talk about the experience, but right now Im shaking inside. 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. I was in class, a distance from the ball fields, but we saw the flash and thought it was a bomb. The journey back to the morning of Jan. 31, 1957, began with a phone call from retired nurse Mary Lewandowski, who wondered how to find out what had happened to the two boys she'd spent four. Two Air Force F-89 jet fighters departed Palmdale at 10:50 a.m. to test their radar. I guess the fact that they were kids when it happened made it stick in ways that will probably never be fully understood. I heard the planes crash, I watched the smoke rise, I ran inside our classroom with all the other kids wondering what we had just seen. Russ, I have put text to your audio file into an mp4. Change). I too was adjacent to the junior HS. Ill go check out Mayday. Sounds like a good idea. Many years after the Pacoima air crash (late 1960s), schools began implementing counseling programs for traumatized students. I finished 3rd grade there. Sincerely, Susan Masters Kowalewski, Batavia, Illinois. It seemed longer in person. .I have watched many videos of ww2 bombers returning home after having suffered incredible damage to both wings and tail..yet they could still fly it . Both our families were put through an emotional wringer that day. Im glad everything went well with your studies. One of the most interesting and enlightening comments yet. 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. {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;\red235\green235\blue228;} Debris on the Pacoima Junior High School Athletic Field A few minutes after 11:00 AM on January 31, 1957, teacher John Buchanan began recording the graduation ceremony being held for 800 students gathered in the San Fernando Valley's Pacoima Junior High School auditorium. Nanjala Nyabola Individual good intentions can only carry us so far when the global recycling system is stacked in favor of the oil industry. Thanks for sharing, Russ. I was 9 years old when the crash happened I was at San Jose Street School, near Woodman and Devonshire in the valley I can remember our windows rattled and some even broke. I miss my father and wonder what life would be like had he not perished; I was only 9 years old at the time. Hi Dolores What an interesting find that must have been. I think there was a lot of heroism on that day, but few names have been mentioned. Now it makes me think of your father too (but in a good way). 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. Yeah, I liked Pacoima too a true melting pot, and we all got along pretty darned well, cholas, cholos and paddies, alike. Thank you so much for commenting and for the nice words about the rest of the blog. He took his job very seriously. There was a large flash and suddenly we heard the blast. 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. And when released from the auditorium, what we saw. 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. We were on the playground and looked up. Gary. It was very traumatic but the adults kept us sheltered so we didnt see the worst of it. Anybody out there remember her? Had no idea this existed. Yknow, at the house we never talked much about the crash. We watched while it flew out of sight and finally the plume of smoke. My sister, who was a friend of Evan Elsners, told me today that our parents, John and Eleanor Buchanan, attended Ronnies memorial service. Thanks again. Like others who have blogged here, it wasnt until my mid thirties that I could fly in an airplane without my palms sweating and my stomach flipping over. Dolores Smith Pope. I knew that they were going to have to clean more than the fence. It was so long ago. Im curious, did the sound on the recording sound like what you remember hearing? Again, Bill, thanks so much for your input. Not to mention, the words Pacoima Crash intrigued the hell out of me. Because of the oxide stripping and other deterioration factors, I transferred the recording to 1/4-inch reel-to-reel, casette and, ultimately, digital. We had to get under our desks. One of the guys (last name Mitchell)was on the Poly High football team I was on and was one of the kids injured on the PJH field that day. My Dad was at home less than a block away. For some god-forsaken reason, my mother scooped me and a my baby brother up, and we headed for the sight of the explosion. As I wrote above, he almost never spoke of the disaster. Thanks for writing and for your nice words about Evan. It was years later when I read the article about Ronnie and it may have been one of the saddest stories. In other words, if a comment disappears, it is due to some technological hiccup, not yours truly. Thank you for posting this, it has been shared with the rest of our family. Thank you for posting this. Im not sure, but I think my sister knew Ronnie. Mr. Buchanan, I remember it as a warm day,bright sunny day,no clouds and you could see forever. An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. It wasnt exactly the way I remembered it, but it was there. I was hoping someone would tell me what they remember. 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. It made an impact on me. What I remember next was the sound. Three students and . My heart goes out to any and all who experienced this disaster. My cousin, Chris Carr, forwarded an article about the 50-year reunion at PJHI would have loved to attended! She said she ran onto the playground and there was chaos apparently parts of the aircraft were still falling. That sent chills up my spine. Who knows, I may have completely repressed those memories. We were unable to find an existing triage system to use. One of the engines slide into the next set of bleached, where I would have been If I had not stopped. The image of a hunk of metal slicing through an elementary school classroom is terrifying. Even though it was many years ago and I was very young, my memory is so vivid it takes people by surprise. He ran as fast as he could from the sound he said. After the crash I was in the hospital for several months. God bless all of those who had family that were involved. Anyway, I may remember Nanci. It rolled to the left and began an uncontrollable, spiraling, high-velocity dive earthward. 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. Im glad I was able to provide a forum for a few of the witnesses and survivors. 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 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. He left the school yard in shock and a neighbor lady found him walking home and picked him up. In a Jan. 28, 2007, story staff writer Cecilia Rasmussen reported: On Jan. 31, 1957, a clear, crisp Thursday morning, twin Scorpion fighter jets from Northrops Palmdale facility engaged in routine scissors interceptions -- first one plane, then the other, served as a target to test radar equipment. If youre asking for permission to post a link to my site on your Facebook page or on any page, for that matter sure. I hadnt heard the story about the clothes-hanging lady but I know pieces of the plane fell over a wide area. I looked across to the other building and saw a teacher named Mr. Snyder. Finally Russ, thanks for providing this place for us to express our thoughts. Thanks for commenting and for the attaboy. On the other hand, I hoped it might serve as a catharsis you know, lose the fear by confronting it. We have been married 35 years. My family moved to the west side of Pacoima so I wasnt able to attend PJH until 1960. Soon after the crash, my dad was transferred to the California Air National Guard Base (196th Tactical Air Support Group) in Ontario. still later my father showed up to take me home from school in the middle of the afternoon and told me what had happened. Unfortunately Raymond was killed in a motorcycle accident in his twenties. The remains of Carr, Twitchell and the other crew members -- radio operator Roy Nakazawa, 28, and flight engineer Waldo B. Adams, 42, both of Los Angeles -- were found in the fuselage, which smacked into the ground at Pacoima Congregational Church, adjacent to the school. 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. or aiff. What a relief! The crash sent the transport plunging on a path o. Send me an email address and Ill try to send the mp3 I made as an attachment. Outside, we could see the carnage. As I looked out the window, almost instantly people came from nowhere. 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. I just checked and your comment is there. I forgot to mention in the story that the adjacent church was my familys church. Distinct craters were made in the playground by each of the four engines and the main center fuselage section. Im delighted that a) you used it and b) it worked for you. Two students were struck and killed by this wreckage and debris. When we caught sight of the aircraft it appeared that its decent was nearly vertical. It was my seventh grade classmates that were on the field that day. I googled the crash to see when it occurred and was brought to your article. Both jets and the DC-7B were performing their individual tests at an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,600m) in clear skies over the San Fernando Valley when, at about 11:18a.m., a high-speed, near-head-on midair collision occurred. When played back at normal speed, it will sound Chipmunked. The recording I posted is an exact copy of the original, although I did EQ it to bring out the voice and reduce tape noise. Some of the people profiled are famous, but most are not. I do remember Brian OConnell and think I could find him some of the class pictures from Beachy. The most vivid memory I have of that day was of my moms worry (her husband and daughter were at Pacoima JH that day). My classroom rocked violently back and forth from the impact. I saw the planes collide mid-air. The post Dont Count Barbara Lee Out of the California Senate Race appeared first on The Nation. Our teacher pushed us back into the safety of the classroom, where we stood at the windows for hours watching the emergecy crews working. Cmcdes, Russ What years are you talking about? You can find the story at: http://www.cemeteryguide.com/gotw-pacoima.html. My dad, John Buchanan, moved on to LA Valley College from Pacoima Jr. High in 1958 so you wouldnt have been in his class. I would narrate, go have a smoke and freeze my butt off, go back inside the theater, narrate, go have a smoke, freeze my butt off. I developed the Orange County Mass Casualty Plan as my class project. My parents were friends with Evan Elsners parents, and we stayed at their Pacoima house several times in the years following the tragedy. One day, looking through a box of reel to reel tapes, I found one marked Pacoima Jr. High School airplane crash (1957). I was injured and was told I was awake and running before I was hit but cant remember anything. 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. As I recall, scholarship awards from such organizations as the American Legion, Rotary Club, Lions, etc. I was in the class with Mr. Snyder are you on facebook contact me. We didnt know till we got hime what had happened. I was tossed into the jeep and we got out of there. I found your Pacoima crash page very informative and well written. Though I never knew him personally, I frequently heard the elder Broadous name mentioned in my house and at our church, Pacoima Congregational. Mary Jo Losso-Engle, Los Angeles, CA. Clearly, this event had left her with what now would be called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and caused serious problems for the rest of her life. Most other California Counties have developed similar plans and most fire agencies now participate in these exercises. We lived near by on Gain Street and I went to Kindergarten at Beachy Avenue School. Hi, Jim Wollensak was the brand of recorder, not the tape. Hi Phyllis I still remember some of the kids in my classes like Craig Bentley, Walter Gorse, Jeff Abraham, Pam Gates, Scott Roberts, Suzanne Maltz, Dennis Liff, Jim Roubal, As far as teachers, I remember Mr. Marto, Mrs. Oshatz, Mrs. Stowsky and I believe it was Mr. Praglin who taught class and kept his pack of cigarettes in his front shirt pocket. 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. Thanks, Knight. What an interesting turn of events. Thanks for commenting, Kevin, and I hope your mom finds the site interesting. I have your email address here. I have accrued over 2500 hours of flight and still an active civilian pilot. She said she thought the kids wouldve survived a disaster better than she would have. And that Richie Valens died in a plane crash is so ironic and disturbing that it still gives me chills. Only one of them had a sibling at the Junior High that day, who was unharmed. Yes, many people were profoundly affected by this tragedy. I was five years Oldfield at a nearby nursery school when this happened. I am rather dismayed to see that you have removed my post. I owned a guitar, at any rate. Trans-Iranian oil pipe line finished; . Women and men wept openly and copiously. I was doing some research on this so thanks for posting the information. I apologize for being off-topic. As you are probably aware, many credit your father for managing to avoid nearby buildings and preventing a much larger calamity. HE CARRIED HIS GUITAR WHERE EVER HE WENT. At least on the LAFD my actions could make a difference and count. Eight people on the ground in Pacoima, California are killed following the mid-air collision between a Douglas DC-7 airliner and a Northrop F-89 Scorpion fighter jet. One of three students. I was in a special class at Montague Street School when it happened. One of my Facebook friends living in Dahlonega, GA posted an article about the plane crash that killed Ritchie Valens. Hi, Nicholas My mom moved me to the other end of the valley because of the violence. I also was a student at Terra Bella Elementary School and witnessed the crash from my school room. I live in Ukiah, California now (see post above about me witnessing the crash while in the 2nd grade at Strathern Street Elementary School). Thank you, Russ, for continuing in your efforts. Hi Marilyn, I too remember you! I remember walking down Pierce St. to Richard Kellers house one day and Rusty was playing lead guitar with the Showmen practicing in a garage. 1957 Pacoima California Mid-Air Collision The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered 1.15M subscribers Join Subscribe 23K 892K views 4 years ago PACOIMA The History Guy remembers a. The organizers believe the sound of an actual disaster will lend gravitas and realism to the drill. If you were an 8th grader when this happened, you must be in your 70s now. Yeah, Ill bet it seemed longer. Jan. 31, 1957 was a tragic day in the northern San Fernando Valley. Thanks again. I hope your airplane nightmare hasnt returned. Thanks for writing. Today is the 57th anniversary of the plane crash; I think about it every January 31st. He never forgot the sight he saw the rest of his life. 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). Your Dad was one of my favorite teachers! In doing so, it began raining debris onto the Pacoima neighborhoods below as the aircraft began to break apart. We entered the playground through the faculty parking lot and beheld a twisted, scorched and oil-soaked landscape. My mother and friends mother were in the auditorium as well. I have been to that site, and youre right, there are some very interesting and moving entries there. Hope you are doing well! I had gym the day of the crash as well, and I DID leave my good coat on the bleachers. I asked where this was and she said, Pacoima Junior High School. Then she just started talking. At that moment everything was chaos and the next thing I remember was my teacher yelling at us to go home. The first time I regained consciousness I was in a room with Lloyd Hopkins. I now know. 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. Jan. 31, 1957: Military and police personnel at scene of the crash of a Douglas DC-7B transport on the grounds of Pacoima Congregational Church, adjacent to Pacoima Junior High School. What I saw Ill never forget. 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. Russ, I just tried again and was able to play the clip with no trouble. The grad speaker on the tape, Linda Latrelle is a good friend of my sisterinlalw. Thank God she made it back safely. I took my turn. My little brain was going a hundred miles an hour. When I first posted the crash audio and story, I wasnt sure what to expect. 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. Talk about different times. Their names were Albert Pardo and John Sain, she said. It is pretty cool. Thanks for the opportunity. I remember seeing the hole in the field. And yes, you have my permission to use the audio in your classes. Yeah, I do believe I would have been a wee bit nervous about flying in a type of plane that seems to keep crashing into other planes. I think for me it was validating. My friend Donald Berizen was in his Boy Scout troop which was later named for him. Him up send me an email address and ill try to send the mp3 made. Jeep and we stayed at their Pacoima house several times in the elementary school classroom is terrifying speaker... 9March when my son told me what had happened though it was many years ago and an. 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1957 collision over pacoima
