. She now is one of 14 people who have been interviewed for the documentary Sole Survivor, which sought out people who are the only ones to live through major air crashes. We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Its kind of like a big brother-little sister relationship, he said. It was initially believed that the four-year-old was one of those injured on the ground until her grandfather came forward to identify the little girl by her chipped front tooth. If there is a bright spot in this, she is it, Thiede told The News-Herald at the 30-year anniversary reflecting on the crash. Following are names of 155 of at least 156 victims in the crash of a Northwest Airlines jet Sunday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, including six crew members, 147 . Peter Rogers, New Orleans police and fire chaplain, makes a sign of the cross as he gives last rites to a Pan Am Flight 759 crash victim in Kenner on July 9, 1982. On the phone, Joanne Surowitz tried to cheer up her younger brother, Brian. Now, sitting aboard Flight 255, he knew, and was anxious to fly home and get started. About 200 family and friends from around the United States are expected to converge at the memorial in Romulus on Thursday to remember loved ones lost on that tragic day, possibly more than the amount of people who turned out for the 20th anniversary of the crash. Booked on Flight 255, Robert and David McKellar missed the plane home to Orange County when the car they had taken to the Detroit airport blew a radiator hose. The jet was manufactured in 1981, entering service as a Republic Aircraft. Oct 24, 2021 at 12:00 am. Among other victims were all five members of the William Best family of Mesa including the youngest 4-month-old Katelyn Best; all four members of the Ronald Geiger family of Gilbert; and all four members of the Donald Byelich family of Chandler. The names of all who died due to the crash are etched on the monument. I gave her some money, and we kissed, Donnie Ratliff said. Seconds later, it crashed and exploded into a ball of flames. Some events are so traumatic they become seared into memory. He was running, so I threw my jacket on him, Valasquez said. movie/ Sullivan, 27, of Chandler and Sup, now 48, of Mesa, met playing sand volleyball at Minder Binders in Tempe nearly 30 years ago. Atkins companion, Carlos Valasquez, 19, said he tried to help a crash victim whose clothes were on fire. It was the first time he had seen her since he rescued her on Middlebelt Road. Now, Continental officials were telling passengers there was a problem with one of the planes wings. Nepal began a national day of mourning Monday as rescue workers . They wanted to spend it in and around their hometown of Corning and the bucolic countryside with their most valued possessions--family and friends. Tonight, at the former crash site near Metro Detroit Airport, families of the victims of NW flight 255 will mark the 25th anniversary of the tragedy (Cichan is not expected to be there). The passengers left the plane; some transferred to flights bound for Los Angeles International Airport. NTSB-AAR-88-05 And there was a Laguna Niguel businessman, ending a long weekend of partying with his sister in Detroit, heading back to work. With Gods help and the faith my family have and especially with the love and support of friends and family, we have all come through that tragedy stronger and more compassionate human begins, Rosemarie Geiger Testa said on www.flight255memorial.com/guestbook, which contains nearly 1,000 comments from people throughout the world. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. News-Herald file photo by Larry Caruso. It was believed that she survived the initial impact because her mother instinctively shielded her with her own body, and she was found by firefighter John Thiede. The plane, now completely out of control, hit Middlebelt just before the I-94 overpass and exploded after striking it. Michigan Radio's Sarah Cwiek will be there and bring us more. Statenews.com She had wanted to drive to Michigan this summer in the couples new Chevy Blazer. Bill had lost his job earlier in the year with a toy manufacturer. VICTIMS OF FLIGHT 255. The plane they boarded was a long-bodied MD-80, an updated version of the DC-9. I never go a day without thinking about the people on Flight 255, she says. Cecelias grandfather identified her by her front chipped tooth and by the purple fingernail polish her grandmother had applied on her for the trip. and flaps not extended. The Michigan Department of Transportation, which contracts out maintenance of the area, says trees that were removed or will be removed will be replaced. I looked to my right and I could see an arm, kind of bent, coming out of a chair.. When I look in the mirror, I have visual scars.. View the Memorial Marker. Earlier this week, Cecelia made national news when it was announced that she had broken her long-standing silence about not speaking to media of the tragedy. heaven. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. New York / Plane Collision #110920. James Munoz. Registration: N312RC Two 12-year-olds flying alone also died in the crash. I told her no, you need to stay and spend time with your father said Mary Ann Ratliff, We picked the 16th for her to come home because cheerleading practice (at Costa Mesa High School) started the 17th., Her father, Donnie Ratliff, is thankful for the two weeks he had with Hidi. Over time, the two developed a friendship and stay in touch today mostly through emails and text messages. As she got older, Crocker sought out Thiede with questions about the crash. On Aug. 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 took off from runway 3C at 8:46 p.m. with 148 passengers and six crew members. Threats of harming another or anything. The Crash | By that time, Kish had gone in another direction to search for survivors. that is degrading to another person. The jetliner was bound for Phoenix, and many of the victims were from the Valley. Douglas DC-9-82, U.S. RME0WR15 - Feb. 02, 1964 - Opera Singer Kenneth Spencer was killed: Famous American Opera-singer Kenneth Spencer is under the victims of the airplane crash of February 25th, near New Orleans. John Thiede was a Romulus firefighter the night the plane crashed and he was on the north side of the crash scene within minutes. NTSB Identification: DCA87MA046. Her incredible story started on August 16, 1987, when she was returning from a holiday with mum Paula, dad Michael and brother, David, six. A light truck, apparently hit by debris, caught fire nearby, but she said she and her fiance were driven back by the flames when they tried to help. The jet was manufactured in 1981, entering service as a Republic Aircraft. to set their wing flaps. Ill see you tomorrow, she told him the night before she was scheduled to fly west to the familys new home in north Tustin. Romulus Dee Murdy knew just after the plane crashed. He said: To see her come down the aisle, my heart, I lost it really. Northwest Airlines Flight 255. Her daughter had been out with friends at an amusement park on Lake Erie until 2:30 a.m., and her father was angry. The family had moved west earlier in the year, but Joanne stayed in Michigan to finish her senior year of high school and to spend time with her boyfriend. Slats One of the passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight 255, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit . Helios Airways Flight 522 was a scheduled passenger flight from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Prague, Czech Republic, with a stopover in Athens, Greece.Shortly after take-off on 14 August 2005, air traffic control (ATC) lost contact with the aircraft operating the flight, named Olympia; it eventually crashed near Grammatiko, Greece, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board. As the passengers disembarked Monday night, they passed a TV screen showing flight schedules. Northwest flight 255 was preparing for takeoff on the evening American Airlines Flight 191 crashed after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979, killing 273 people. Grandma, you act like youll never see me again! Joanne said. Cecelia suffered horrific injuries including a fractured skull, broken leg and collarbone and third-degree burns. I believe in treating deceased humans with respect. She will speak out about the crash for the first time in a forthcoming documentary, Sole Survivor, about the sole survivors of plane crashes. Just before 8 she called and said she was leaving on Northwest Flight 255. I told him I had to be at work early the next day and I didnt feel like driving to the airport. With 58 persones aboard the airplane plunged into the Pontchartrain-Sea. Wreckage of Northwest Flight 255 lay strewn across Middlebelt Road after the Aug. 16, 1987, crash. Its hard to go back and work knowing some of what I would have worked for isnt there.. Kathy and I were good friends and after the kids went to bed, we sometimes shared a glass of wine. When it comes to thinking about their lost loved ones or plane crash every day, Tony Zanger of Monroe, Mich., is among many. | Flight Crew of Northwest Airlines Flight 255: Captain John R. Maus, 57, of Las Vegas, Nevada: . The youngest was 4-month-old Katelyn Best, of Mesa, Arizona. All told, 156 people were killed in the tragedy. docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 33859. He was looking forward to moving after receiving a promotion at work. . Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. In its design is a dove with a ribbon in its beak, reading "Their spirit still lives on.". They said they had no qualms about taking the same flight home. It was the nation's second-worst aviation disaster. Something went wrong, please try again later. Some people were seen carrying debris. Weve stayed very close.. But 2,500 miles away, friends and family gathered a few hours later in the fluorescent glow of John Wayne Airport to greet a plane that would never arrive. 2023 Getty Images. They shared the third one, bought Joannes magazines at Arbor Drugs and continued to the airport. Origins: The aftermath of . MI Aircraft:MCDonnell Douglas DC-9-82, registration: N312RC Injuries: The aircraft was cleared for takeoff on Detroit Metro's runway 03C and began its takeoff roll. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Gus Burns | fburns@mlive.com. The remaining 149 passengers, including her parents and brother, along with six crewmembers and two people on the ground, all perished in the crash. We gather to remember not because they died, but because they lived, Zanger added. A single Associated Press photo of the girl was released a few months after the crash, showing her with bandages on her arms and a bow on her head while she was being treated at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor and she disappeared from public life after that. Flight 255 carried 149 passengers and six crew members. The left wing clipped a light pole, and the damaged airliner sheared the top off a rental car building. On August 16, 2007, the twentieth anniversary of the crash, a memorial service was held at the site. Hidi had flown to Ohio with her mother, Mary Ann, late last month. Executive Summary: About 2046 eastern daylight time on August Wreckage was strewn a half-mile along a road, under a railroad trestle and two highway overpasses, and police arrested six people allegedly for looting the site. AirSafetyOnline.com. Before boarding Flight 255, he called his roommate, Mike Daniels, to make sure he would be at John Wayne Airport to pick him up. Arlene Nelson, age 12, was from Detroit and Justin Keener, also 12, was from Scottsdale, Arizona. Cecelia said that she had finally decided to open up about the crash because the film was a group project and thats why Im willing to get involved and be part of something bigger. Mainly clear. For those Downriver 35 years ago, such an event took place at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Cecelia Crocker, nee Cichan, was the only survivor of Northwest Flight 255, which crashed after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Aug. 16, 1987. At dawn today, investigators shuttled in and out of the floodlit site where the MD-80 bound for Phoenix, Ariz., and suburban Los Angeles crashed, killing at least 152 of 153 people on board, and two more on the ground. Nevada funeral for pilot John Maus noted; co-pilot David Dodds' flight experience mentioned. A black granite memorial now sits at the top of the hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94. A financial consultant from Huntington Beach, she had been visiting her parents in the Arizona capital. We were serving a Northwest pilot and his family dinner and when it happened, he ran out screaming.. Two 12-year-olds flying alone also died in the crash. 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines, Inc., flight 255 crashed shortly She planned to spend a month in Orange County before returning for her freshman year at Michigan State. She had slept little Sunday night, and now she was chain-smoking as she waited at Gate 26 for this new Flight 255. All rights reserved. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. A 4-year-old girl now living with relatives in Alabama was the sole survivor of the . Crocker has never attended a memorial event, according to Zanger. Its like an empty hole that cant be filled. They were a remarkable family. Her luggage was placed on another Continental flight to John Wayne Airport. I think about it every day; every time I drive down Middlebelt Road, said Thiede, now a lieutenant in the department. -- WING FLAPS: The DC-9`s wing flaps and slats were not used during takeoff, dooming the flight from the start. | I can see that site as it was. 30 years later: Flight 255 bonds victims' families. One survivor, like something out of a movie. The plane was turned on its side with its wings almost perpendicular to the ground, Webb said. 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