When I was writing and researching this story, I thought about how tough that day must have been for mom. All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. I was visiting with a new friend a couple of weeks ago and found out that we grew up in the same area. Yes I saw Pam and Carol. Last night I saw it again and it and a recent visit to San Fernando got me looking at pictures of the Valley in the 50s. Actually, played might be overstating it somewhat. I still remember seeing a great deal of plane parts scattered across the gym field. Both our families were put through an emotional wringer that day. I was amazed to run across your recording of the sounds of that tragic day. to tell us that our father, William (Bill) Carr had died in a plane crash. I was young and that is all I know. 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). Russ, I only had time to check out the Pacoima section of your site just now, but I find the premise of CemeteryGuide.com Stories Behind the Stones fascinating. locker rooms, I started searching for our dad. And yes, please, feel free to include the link. As soon as it disappeared on the horizon a large black plume of smoke appeared. John Vardanian was a PE teacher and track coach at Poly High at least through 1967 when I graduated. I felt sick and light headed. Yeah, I liked him too. Mark Littleton. I believe there was a connection between the two houses of worship during the 60s civil rights struggle. As you are probably aware, many credit your father for managing to avoid nearby buildings and preventing a much larger calamity. Today is the 57th anniversary of the plane crash; I think about it every January 31st. Your account is the first Id heard about Berger and his music therapy pulling him through ah, the power of music. Russ: I just read David Clevengers note about the crash. Another living witness. I plan to visit the site, hopefully in the afternoon of June 4. I was born in 52 and started at Beachy when I was six. I dont recall my parents reaction to the crash. I just checked and your comment is there. The one thing I recall of that day (I was five) was the thousand pieces of metal, as you put it, falling out of the sky. We were able to leave the classroom to go to the bathroom. Stubborn bastard haha. As you can see from the comments here, you are not alone. After my capture, I was taken into an office and told to wait. He told me Douglas Aircraft offered his folks some token settlement and its too bad they didnt know better than to sign off. Compared to the tape, the real thing probably seemed like an eternity. My mother had heard the whine of the falling plane and ran out screaming, Oh, my god, oh my god, I think a plane just crashed! We looked out the front window and saw a mushroom cloud of thick black smoke rising over the schools. In 1993 I entered a bachelors degree program at March Air force Base (more jet noise). 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. Kris. Thanks for commenting, Anthony. One of the engines slide into the next set of bleached, where I would have been If I had not stopped. It was a long time ago. Nice to think that the recording Russells dad made will be used this way:-). As I travel back to that place my heart goes out, once again, to all those kids, teachers, parents, flight crews, and first responders whose lives were forever changed that day. I just checked it on my iPad and it played fine. INCLUDING MY BROTHER AND I, WE WERE IN THE AUDITORIUM, HE WAS GRADUATING AND I WAS IN B-9. The Theatre of the Mind 8.7K subscribers CBS Radio Workshop "Heaven is in the Sky" 1957 Pacoima Plane Crash A documentary look at the January 31, 1957 mid-air collision of a DC-7B and a. I am devastated by the deaths and injuries but so thankful that there were not more. The class had just started to file out for recess when the whine of the plane cought our attention. Thank you for your input. I looked across to the other building and saw a teacher named Mr. Snyder. I went to Sa Jose St school and was in the 5th grade. Cmcdes, Russ What years are you talking about? He now lives in Boulder City, NV. Many Pacoima JH alums have commented there. Hey just a BIG hello, I was in your class too, and was in the auditorium with you, I think its interesting you are in Duluth Minn. thats where I was born and lived until we came to Pacoima, Ca. Pam and I have exchanged condensed life stories via email as we didnt talk much that night. All four crew members of the DC-7 died in the crash, as did the pilot of the F-89. Gary. 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. It was organized under the California Office of Emergency Services. A third gravely injured student died two days later in a local hospital. Johnny and I were friends and I remember having dinner with your family. Mondaire Jones The ousting of two Black Democrats from the Tennessee House of Representatives makes clear that the US urgently needs to salvage and rebuild a true multiracial democracy. If anyone knows, please write. Part of an engine crashed through the roof of the church auditorium, smashing windows and destroying that building. I never knew if it was because the school board believed nuclear war was less likely after 65 or if they figured junior high-aged kids should be wise enough, in the event of a nuclear blast, to drop under their desks without rehearsal. Yeah, Ill bet that was a difficult sound to shake. Thank you, Mr. Buchanan. It was something they didnt know about each other. [citation needed], The 1957 crash was discussed on the May 19, 1957, episode of The CBS Radio Workshop (entitled "Heaven Is In the Sky"). If nothing else came from your efforts you should be satisfied that you helped out a survivor! About the exams i have to tell you that you were totally right. An incredible bonding experience that lasted 50 years or more after graduation from high school. Things were a mess on the other side of the fence from us. Are you going to go to Pacoima when you get out of sixth grade or is sixth grade now in middle school? He also had a second profession as a movie actor. Many found it very disturbing, which was good because they then had to go to work just like in real life. What Buchanans recording ultimately captured that morning was the sound of a tragedy. I was telling my son and his girlfriend just the other night about the crash. 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 playing outside. I miss that school so much. Background [ edit] I heard he came out of the Marine Corps, slim and buff. The Pacoima crash was of particular significance to my family for a number of reasons. Related to the 1957 crash, I was 5 years old and playing on my parents front porch. Wow, I remember almost all the students names you mentioned Gates, Liff, Roberts and Maltz and all the teachers you named. Needless to say, it was one heck of a day for mom. I lived on Obeck, which was situated between Terra Bella and Kagle Canyon (north-south) and Canterbury and Beachy (east-west) so I was pretty far from the school and dont remember hearing anything unusual. lided over the Grand Canyon. Many commenters on these pages were in nearby elementary schools when it happened. I remember looking up and the sky being filled with what appeared to be confetti, debree from the crash. As I wrote above, he almost never spoke of the disaster. I think you lived near me we were on Obeck Ave, between Kagel Cyn. I went on to read many of your wonderfully insightful articles. 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. My mother saved all documents, including an envelope with my Dads personal effects that he wore the day of the crash. Thats all there is to it. Not to mention, the lifelong fear of flying that many witnesses have to this day. Who knows, I may have completely repressed those memories. Man, what a day! I remember, like so many others that have written, the pieces of metal, bolts and whatever the pieces are of an exploded plane falling all around. She said she ran onto the playground and there was chaos apparently parts of the aircraft were still falling. I googled the crash to see when it occurred and was brought to your article. Even though I never met Evan, I grew up hearing about what happened. 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. Hello Russ, thank you for these pages. I was 14 and will never forget it. I found this website with a bunch of newspaper clippings on the event. I think there was a lot of heroism on that day, but few names have been mentioned. Thanks. We crossed the Pacific Ocean four times in DC-7s. Yes, my classroom was one row back from the fence dividing the two schools. Wow. Youll wind up getting the grade you were going to get anyway plus an ulcer (and bad airplane dreams). Mary Jo (and Kathy) Losso. Days later we were allowed back into class because a large piece of metal flew through and embedded in to the wall. [1] [2] [3] Accident [ edit] Kris. I, like all of us that were there that day, will never forget it. John was their bass player. Thanks for your comment and compassionate thoughts. 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. Our family lived at 13328 Kagel Cyn. I remember seeing the hole in the field. The bus trip that day went to Roger Jessups Farm. I looked up and to this day could swear that some one in the nose of that spinning plane was waving their arms. Thanks for writing. Hi, my name is Shirley Kathryne Johnson Binkley.. His sister and the rest of the Boyd/Brann family remember him with love. Next there was dead silence in the classroom. Thanks again. If there is anyone else, please call me. Your brother, with his lifelong fear of flying, is not alone. 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. By the way, Im not sure how your comment wound up appearing as if it came from me, but Ill look into it. 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. Im not sure, but I think my sister knew Ronnie. Later I returned to my regular class and started hearing rumors which I did not believe. Richard Berger wrote that he was in the hospital for 7 weeks, I think I was there longer. Poly High was my next stop, where I managed to stay until graduation. Thanks again. 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. My mother received telegram condolences from all over the world -my father was in the Air Transport Command during WWII, then went to work for Seaboard & Western training pilots in various countries to fly the Douglas aircraft, then went to work for Douglas as a test pilot. 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 was in the 8th grade at Sun Valley Junior High and I was having lunch with 3 of my buddies. 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. I have been avoiding hearing the tape until today. The two schools shared a common chain link fence about 10 feet high. 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! 1957 Pacoima California Mid-Air Collision The History Guy remembers a mid-air collision between two planes flying test flights over a California city and its connection to Ritchie Valens. He must have lived near me on Beachy Ave. Heres why thats wrong. My friend Donald Berizen was in his Boy Scout troop which was later named for him. Thanks for your recollection of that day. I posted a comment on Russ Buchanans website some time ago asking anyone who was on the field that day to contact me. That September, the brand new Liggett St. Im glad everything went well with your studies. Who knows, maybe one of your new acquaintances has written here. As I looked out the window, almost instantly people came from nowhere. Hi Mike thank you for your detailed recollection. I also was a student at Terra Bella Elementary School and witnessed the crash from my school room. You know, you are not alone in your memory of seeing the pilot gesturing from the cockpit. When we caught sight of the aircraft it appeared that its decent was nearly vertical. Karen Bakken. Also, because your comment was a reply to a comment left in 2012, it appears after that comment and not near the end with more recent comments. 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. 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. Nuts and bolts and debris began to rain down on roof, but nothing that was large enough to cause any damage. Evan and I were in youth group together. It still looks pretty darned good. I didnt know you were going through a similar hell worrying about dad. 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. Im going through new comments now and I should have his up in a few minutes. I was in the 9th grade in the orchestra practicing in the auditorium when this happened. We didnt know till we got hime what had happened. Paul Morse, who passed away a few years ago, was a very close friend of my family. Our department decided to host a mass causality drill. The post The Surprisingly Durable Myth of Donald Trump, Anti-Imperialist appeared first on The Nation. The crash sent the transport plunging on a path o. Then, when I got to Pacoima Jr. High the drills just stopped. We were still in the classroom and the teacher must have been scared to death. In January 1957, a Douglas DC-7B collided with a U.S. Air Force F-89 jet over the San Fernando Valley. However, it appears you overcame your fear of flying IN A BIG WAY. So many readers of this blog got here through their searches about Valens as you did. Probably some sort of WordPress glitch or other. It is perfect as the scenario is an air crash. The sound is a little different than I remember as the screaming of the plane fell to the ground. I remember you as Rusty, a classmate of my late brother Steven. Russell- Thank you for your kind words about dad. Everyone dove under their desks and covered their heads.I did not. Youve come to the right place. Did you live on OBeck or Oback??? 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. I TOTALLY understand and COMPLETELY respect your thought process regarding posting this, however to me this audio represents a piece of history for those of us who live or have lived in the valley as well as those who are familiar with the Ritchie Valens story. I was at my friend Pattis house, playing with her Moms box of buttons on the living room floor. My family was two houses from yours. But please do not copy and paste any of the text to another site . I was in a special class at Montague Street School when it happened. He never forgot the sight he saw the rest of his life. Hope you are doing well! 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. 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