My sister was in the 6th grade at Terra Bella school and was quite traumatized. I had forgotten that John Buchanan was her father. This was truly cathartic for me. I didnt know his son had been injured in the crash but I am glad to hear he is carrying on the family mission. 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. Hello, Pamela I lived on Obeck Ave (off Kagel, between Beachy and Canterbury) in what was originally called Pacoima, but later became Arleta for no apparent reason. Speaking of fathers, your dads actions on that day were those of a very good and decent man. I dont remember hearing the explosion but I ran over to the windows and remember seeing the black smoke and a lot of debris twirling in the air. What a relief! Such a horrible thing to happen. You were certainly an adventurous and inquisitive fourth-grader, werent you. Two Air Force F-89 jet fighters departed Palmdale at 10:50 a.m. to test their radar. The pilot died in the crash. The Pacoima Mid-Air Collision. All three of the boys were considerably younger than he, but its certainly possible. From a fellow Beachy-ite, thanks for commenting [citation needed], The 1957 crash was discussed on the May 19, 1957, episode of The CBS Radio Workshop (entitled "Heaven Is In the Sky"). (sp) Street? Today, I still have problems with low flying planes, which happens often in Littlerock, CA. The scenario was an airplane crash out of John Wayne Airport. Ive been amazed at the responses to this post and how many commenters who saw or heard the plane come down but were not directly harmed by the crash were nonetheless deeply affected, in one way or other, for their entire lives. Our teacher yelled at the class to drop and cover. God bless you all and thank you for sharing your stories. My physiological reaction as I sit here now is unpleasant which I hope and pray is an emotional catharsis. I listened to the recording. Yes, Russ, Phyllis and I did see each other at the reunion. I, like all of us that were there that day, will never forget it. Gary Powell contacted me and filled me in. My sister and I lost touch with Cindy, his sister, in the late sixties. Thanks for commenting and for the attaboy. I hope you are composing these days. Russ, I also knew Pam. 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. Yes, like so many others this event is seared into my mind even though I witnessed it from 4 miles away and wasnt exposed to the terror and carnage that so many others were. I still cry when I try to tell people what happened that day. The only crew member of either plane to survive was Curtis Adams, radarman of the military fighter jet. My brother, Richard Bliven, was in the school yard when the plane crashed. My recollection is that there were windows all along the wall of the library looking toward Pacoima Jr. Hi. The plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean about thirty minutes after taking off from Tokyo. My Dad was at home less than a block away. He was injured as well but remembered what I couldnt. I ran inside my house and asked my mother what happened. 55 years later and we who were there are drawn back to the memory. When its published, I will upload the crash audio and maybe snippets of interviews and slide show to YT. 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. Im always struck by how widespread the interest in Richie Valens continues to be so long after his death. appeared first on The Nation. We were both very lucky that day. When I first heard the audio, that phrase, We have one life to live, jumped out at me almost seemed like a premonition. I just found this site. 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. I bailed out of the jeep, ran out of the hanger, and ran down the tarmac. Heard the crash everyone thought it was a sonic boom. 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. The last transmission from the co-pilot was from Archie Twitchell, an uncle of mine. I guess you figured the best way to keep those things airborne was to pilot them yourself. My father was the pilot of the DC-7 and my parents had moved to the Pacific Palisades from La Canada two years prior to the crash. An error has occurred; the feed is probably down. The sound became a scream and I froze along with everyone in my classroom. [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. It gave me chills and brought me back to that day on the field. She and one of the girls in our classroom were clutched together. What I remember next was the sound. My brother was on the gym field, saved one friend behind the baseball home plate, best didnt survive. He left the school yard in shock and a neighbor lady found him walking home and picked him up. Thanks again, Sheryl. 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. Looking backwards, connecting the dots, a very personal journey began on the morning of January 31st, 1957. I posted a comment on Russ Buchanans website some time ago asking anyone who was on the field that day to contact me. killing all 128 aboard on both of . It was a warm day and our teacher had both doors to the classroom open. You reminded me that my sister, who happened to be at the P.E. Russ, I, too, hope that the unpleasantness you felt was an indication of catharsis. 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. To me, the most nightmarish aspect was the screaming sound the plane made as it fell. I remember where the drafting area was situated at Pacoima you and your classmates were darned close to the field. As far as I know, this is the only recording of the Pacoima crash: Click on following link: [This recording is the property of Russ Buchanan. I remember thinking, please dont put one of those things in my hair or on my clothes. Yeah, thats what I remember dad telling me. Yeah, that is one stunning little piece of Valley history like an audio time capsule. Dad was teaching English at Pacoima and was also coaching kids on their graduation speeches. At first it looked like one plane and its landing gear then as they got closer we could see it was two planes, then we saw the parachute. The post Nothing Encapsulates the False Promise of Capitalism Like Plastic appeared first on The Nation. I was in second grade, Ms. Uptagraph, Terra Bella Elementary. Since I went to Pacoima 64-67, I missed him too. 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. 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. He came to the School right after the crash. And when I got out my parents had moved us to Palmdale. INCLUDING MY BROTHER AND I, WE WERE IN THE AUDITORIUM, HE WAS GRADUATING AND I WAS IN B-9. Richard Berger was badly burned, but on our graduation day played piano beautifully, telling me his learning to play was therapeutic. The song was We Aint Got Nothing Yet. 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. I have read that there are laws against testing flights obove populated areas and that they must be tested over sea. They wouldnt talk to me about it or answer questions and I have wondered all these years what happened. They were very good and practiced all the time. To be honest even after sheeding tears i still cant stop whenever i think about these kids. I was 14 and will never forget it. My little brain was going a hundred miles an hour. Fire, kids screaming, people from the neighborhood filling the school yard, emergency vehicles trying to get in. Debris on the Pacoima Junior High School Athletic Field. I told you we should have had chutes. A brief silence, then: Say goodbye to everybody.. In fact, during my young adult years I flew a great deal and almost always enjoyed the experience. Against the sound of 800 frightened students and a distant fire bell, an unintelligible announcement is made on the P.A. So please try to keep the memories alive. He recalled gazing up at his chute on the way down and seeing widening circles of blue sky. My father was a Los Angeles Policeman stationed at the Van Nuys Station. I think it may have been city council. I think for me it was validating. We were able to leave the classroom to go to the bathroom. It seems many of the commenters here have vivid recollections of that day. I thought the church was being bombed, Doris McClain, 27, told The Times. I listened to it on the radio after coming home from school that day and it scared the living daylights out of me. 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. And yes, you have my permission to use the audio in your classes. 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. At 11:18 a.m., one moved into a wide turn 25,000 feet above the San Fernando Valley. I didnt know you were going through a similar hell worrying about dad. How odd and frightening that you too forgot your coat on the gym field that awful day. Hi Dolores 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. I went to Sa Jose St school and was in the 5th grade. It seems just about everybody who witnessed the crash, including you and my sister, developed a lifelong discomfort with flying. I would be glad to send a copy of the audio there is no video to you in mp3 format. We mocked up an airliner fuselage out of wood and visqueen. Thank you for posting the recording. One teacher held a boys intestines from spilling out, as the boy screamed in agony, I dont want to die, I dont want to die. Teachers were everywhere, trying to comfort the injured. Pamela Carr Wolfson. Thank you for posting this remarkable, memorable recording and retelling of the events on that fateful day. For some, a life-changer. Praying that all of those students injured who were injured (both mentally and physically) have been healed. We used to visit him at the hospital while he was recovering and suffering through painful skin grafts. My mother was 36 yrs old and she promised my brother and I that she would try to keep the house so we could finish school with our friends. I was in Mrs. Coughlins class. When the plane hit I was running. I too was adjacent to the junior HS. 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 suspect hydraulic lines were severed causing loss of control to flaps and the like. One of my Facebook friends living in Dahlonega, GA posted an article about the plane crash that killed Ritchie Valens. 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