Arlene Nelson was from Detroit and Justin Keener was from Scottsdale, Arizona. As a result of the crash, motorists were struck and the fuselage flew across the roadway just north of the Wick Road intersection. Flight 255 carried 149 passengers and six crew members. The youngest was 4-month-old Katelyn Best, of Mesa, Arizona. FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2012 file photo, flowers and pictures are shown at the memorial in Romulus, Mich. to mark the 25th anniversary of the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 near Detroit . 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. A black granite memorial now sits at the top of the hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94. Her grandmother reminded her to go see one of her aunts, who was old and ill, because it might be the last chance she had. Cecelia suffered horrific injuries including a fractured skull, broken leg and collarbone and third-degree burns. Two 12-year-olds flying alone also died in the crash. Location: Romulus, Michigan | James Munoz. When she finished packing, she called home to confirm that her mother would be waiting at John Wayne Airport when Northwest Flight 255 landed at 10:35 p.m. Also boarding the Northwest jet at Detroits Metropolitan Airport was a Laguna Hills couple on the last leg of a two-week trip back to New York. Kathy Best also had once saved the Weavers son by pulling him out of the Weavers family pool seconds after he fell in it. The names of all who died due to the crash are etched on the monument. Origins: The aftermath of . The Bests two children, William Jr., 5, and Hillary, 4, played with the Weavers children. It was sick., Atkins said there was little they could do. It was in the air for almost a minute. Cecelia Crocker, nee Cichan, was the only survivor of Northwest Flight 255, which crashed after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Aug. 16, 1987. Resources | Atkins said he was treated at a hospital for a burn on his hand caused by a piece of debris from the plane. passenger flight and was en route to Phoenix, Arizona, with 149 As of 2016, it ranks as the fourth deadliest aviation crash in United States history, and the fourth deadliest for the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft line. You just think it cant happen to the same flight twice, said David McKellar of Dana Point. There were a lot of bodies lying around, he said. I still vividly remember her knocking on our door to welcome us to the neighborhood. Mike definitely had more to do in his life, but it wasnt to be.. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. By Patrice Gaines-Carter and. He was traveling a lot and doing well. All told, 156 people were killed in the tragedy. by a fireman for safety, when they opened the door they found two dead bodies still buckled into their seats, apparently from one of the airplanes. Now, 25 years later, she has decided to tell her story as part of a new documentary called Sole Survivor featuring passengers who lived through plane crashes against all odds. Zangers brother, Tony Zanger of Monroe is among six people helping to organize a memorial ceremony at the crash site in Romulus where a granite memorial is containing the 156 names of the people who died as a result of the crash 154 on the plane and two motorists on the ground. "We take our chairs, our cushions, and the whole gang goes, everbody." New York / Plane Collision #110920. ROYAL OAK, MI On Aug. 16, 1987, the grassy banks of Middlebelt Road in Romulus near . Various. They were in Monroe, Michigan, visiting family and friends the weekend of August 16, 1987 and were killed on the crash of Northwest Flight 255 in Romulus, Mich. returning home that evening. James Wieging was already en route to Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Steve drove his coworker to the airport. This Sole Survivor project is more about a group, and thats why Im willing to get involved and be part of something bigger.. She had slept little Sunday night, and now she was chain-smoking as she waited at Gate 26 for this new Flight 255. A Continental spokesman said he was very eager to get back to Orange County that night. their lives when the plane crashed into a bridge on I-94 in Romulus. I never go a day without thinking about the people on Flight 255, she says. Cecelia Cichan, then 4, formerly of Tempe, was the sole survivor in that crash. She said she saw one body in the truck cab. The Crash. The McDonnell Douglass MD-80, piloted by Capt. No release date has been set yet. escorted to her apt. The aircraft then went into a stall, rotating 40 degrees to its left when it struck a light pole near the end of the runway, severing a portion of its left wing while igniting jet fuel. A total of 154 Blue Spruce Trees, one marking each casualty, are partially seen beyond the marker. His wife, waiting nervously at John Wayne Airport for news of the severity of the Northwest crash, never knew of her husbands inattentiveness--and good fortune--until she spotted him in the Orange County terminal arriving on another airline from Detroit. CFRPart 121 operation of Air Carrier. They sailed, played baseball and attended a friends wedding, all the while talking of their new life in California. Crocker, who graduated from the University of Alabama and now lives on the East Coast, still has scars from the burns she suffered in the crash. She went on to be raised by relatives, graduated college, got married and led a successful life. An American Airlines jet went down in May 1979 and killed 275 people. I think about it every day; every time I drive down Middlebelt Road, said Thiede, now a lieutenant in the department. Bill Best, a huge Syracuse University basketball fan, was an engineer at GMs Proving Grounds in Mesa and looking forward to relocating to Dallas after receiving a promotion. This site was last updated January 2, 2022All images contained herein assumed to fall within general copyright laws. There were 155 people on the plane, including 148 passengers and six crew members. She planned to board the plane when in stopped in Phoenix, en route to Orange County. Cichan discussed the crash for "Sole Survivor," an upcoming documentary featuring stories of plane crash survivors. Married last October, this was the couples first vacation since their honeymoon. . Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas Super MD-80 (MD-82) In addition to those on the plane, two people on the ground were killed and several others were injured. They had just bought their first home, a three-bedroom house in a quiet, woodsy El Toro neighborhood. Twenty-nine passengers on board Flight 255 were under the age of 20. On Sunday, Mary Ann Ratliff was busy working in her kitchen when she got a call from Hidi. She even swapped phone numbers with a reporter and said keep in touch when the plane landed in Orange County. Thirty years ago, as she departed Detroit Metropolitan Airport . Flying never bothered the 45-year-old nurse. Mainly clear. The agency also said a cockpit warning system did not alert the crew to the problem. Downriver's most notable tragedy in history occurred on August 16, 1987, at 8:46 p.m., as Northwest Orient Airlines Flight #255, originating in Saginaw with a final destination in Orange County, Calfornia, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all crewmembers and 148 of 149 boarded passengers. On Aug. 16, 1987, Geiger, 36, his wife, Valerie, and daughters Lauren and Lisa of Gilbert, were among 154 people on Northwest Flight 255 killed when the plane crashed in Romulus, Mich., seconds . each comment to let us know of abusive posts. She knew they would join her Tuesday back home in Fountain Valley, but she had to be at work Monday morning. Testas daughter-in-law, Valerie Geiger, 36, and her two granddaughters, Lisa, 7, and Lauren Geiger, 5, also died in the crash. Shortly after 8 a.m. it was in the air, headed east for stops in Minneapolis, Detroit, Saginaw, Mich., and back to Detroit to pick up passengers for the trip west again. Bound for Phoenix and continuing on to Orange County, the DC-9 was carrying 148* passengers and six crew members. On August 16, 1987 a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, operating as Northwest Airlines Flight 255, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, about 8:46 pm EDT (00:46 UTC August 17), resulting in the deaths of all six crew members and 148 of the 149 passengers, along with two people on the ground. (Photo courtesy Tony Zanger). All rights reserved. They were so much fun, and when we realized they were on that plane, it greatly affected us. I can see that site as it was. There was a Fountain Valley nurse, returning early from a family vacation and a Saddleback College football player flying back for the start of practice. It was a Sunday night crowd in August--casually dressed vacationers, family travelers, not as many business people as would have been on a midweek flight. There was only one survivor, a 4-year-old girl from Tempe. I got out just as the plane was exploding, said Pam Galvin, a waitress. | Since then, Metro has seen a handful of fatalities, including a Dec. 3, 1990, collision on a runway that killed seven passengers and a flight attendant. Romulus, Michigan. He learned the girl was alive several hours later. She was excited about the trip, her first to California. Report No. That aircraft had started the day at John Wayne Airport, where crews cleaned and fueled it at dawn for the cross-country workout that followed. Joanne said no, she might get on another flight any minute. David had bought her a silver ring a week earlier when they had gone to a nearby lake. NTSB.gov This California farm kingdom holds a key, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, Im afraid for her life: Riverside CC womens coach harassed after Title IX suit, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, Who would execute a baby? Shortly after dropping him off, he witnessed the second worst air disaster in the United States history, the crash of Northwest Flight 255, the flight that he skipped. The Saturday before she left, Hidi went to say goodby to her grandmother, Thelma Lesniewski. The Crash | There's a name for Friedman and other relatives of Flight 255 victims. The sole survivor of the crash: 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan (now Cecelia Crocker) formerly of Tempe. A memorial for the plane in Romulus was put up to remember and honor the victims. Priest who ministered to families after Michigan's 1987 plane crash, dug for survivors in wake of 9/11 remembered for heroic compassion. NTSB Identification: DCA87MA046. But luck works both ways and last Sunday in Detroit was no different. Sup said he and his volleyball teammates often think of Mike Sullivan. 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. 7th deadliest plane crash in US history. AirSafetyOnline.com. Seconds later, it crashed and exploded into a ball of flames. 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. (the 25th anniversary of the crash), a memorial service was again held at the crash site. After an longer than normal roll, I was checking on people, but Im not a medical examiner. I loved her so much, David remembered, sitting in the basement of the Surowitz home last week with Joannes family and friends. Sharon Schweitzer, Dearborn Heights, Mich. Make Custom Gifts at CafePress. On the 25th anniversary of the Flight 255 crash, Detroiters and loved ones of the 156 individuals who died will gather to mark the occasion at a memorial service honoring the victims. 30 years later: Flight 255 bonds victims' families. Reports indicate the aircraft never rose more than 50 feet off the ground. The aircraft was cleared for takeoff on Detroit Metro's runway 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. I thought it was lightning and thunder at first. Tanned from a day of boating and beer drinking in the hot Detroit sun, Lori Frank drove her brother, Peter, to the airport Sunday evening. A 4-year-old girl now living with relatives in Alabama was the sole survivor of the . One survivor, like something out of a movie. At the time, the crash was the second worst in U.S. history. Her remaining family moved her to Alabama. He remembered his brother and sister-in-law to be the clowns of the family who were hams in front of the camera. Thiede will be there tomorrow for the remembrance, but theres a constant reminder every time he goes to work. Wow. -- WING FLAPS: The DC-9`s wing flaps and slats were not used during takeoff, dooming the flight from the start. Part of the plan was football. She started to go on about it, and I said, Hidi, can this wait until youre home tonight? . Mainly clear. (DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images) Akmar Binti Mohd Noor, 67, whose sister was onboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 from Amsterdam, cries outside the family holding area at the Kuala Lumpur . Yet while the pain from her injuries has faded over time, a tattoo of an aeroplane on her left wrist reminds her of a tragedy that she thinks about every day. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Collect, curate and comment on your files. A devout member of Faith Lutheran Church in Huntington Beach, she believed that whatever happened was out of her hands. ROMULUS, Mich. (WJBK) - 31 years ago Thursday, Northwest Flight 255 took off from Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus, bound for Phoenix. Families of the 156, Home takeoff from runway 3C at Detroit Metro Airport.. I guess this can be our engagement ring, she said. The sole survivor of the crash who now is 29, has been moving on with her life, shielded from the spotlight while preferring privacy. Sullivan, 27, of Chandler and Sup, now 48, of Mesa, met playing sand volleyball at Minder Binders in Tempe nearly 30 years ago. According to information extracted from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), engine power began increasing at 2044:21. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The men said the plane hit the ground about 50 feet behind their truck. Cecelia Cichan was just four when she became the sole survivor of doomed Northwest Airlines Flight 255. Raphael and Lisa Tombasco arrived from Buffalo on a connecting flight. The National Transportation Safety Board determined the crash probably was due to the crews failure to use a taxi checklist to ensure the flaps and slats were extended for takeoff. The crash killed 156, including two people on the ground, the flight crew, and every passenger except one Cecilia Cechan. Although Cecelia has never attended one of the memorial services involving the plane crash, she often reaches out to family members of the crash victims who died. They had moved to California 14 years ago after her parents divorced, but they flew back each summer for the big family reunion--which was always on the first Sunday in August. Donald St. Germain, San Diego George Saunders, Rancho Palos Verdes Marla Scavia, La Mesa Dave Schmidt, Sacramento Ralph Schueler, Sacramento Northwest Flight 255 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight of a MD-82, that day being N312RC, between Saginaw and Santa Ana, California, with en route stops at Detroit and Phoenix, Arizona. After the crash in 1987, Northwest followed standard procedure and no longer used 255 as a flight number. by a fireman for safety, when they opened the door they found two dead bodies still buckled into their seats, apparently from one of the airplanes. American Airlines Flight 191 crashed after takeoff from O'Hare International Airport on May 25, 1979, killing 273 people. On the documentary, Cecelia said she agreed to grant the interview for the program because it involves a group of people and doesnt focus on just one person. But there would be plenty of time to call when the plane landed at Phoenix. Already on the plane were the McKellar brothers who had missed Flight 255 the night before because of their car trouble. The granite memorial, pictured above, was erected in 1994. James I remember what it was like that night. There were 148 deaths -- and one miraculous survivor. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. In the weeks following the September 11 terrorist attacks, disaster rocked New York City again when American Airlines Flight 587 broke apart and crashed in Rockaway . Where: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Romulus, Michigan The jet was manufactured in 1981, entering service as a Republic Aircraft. Most were residents . 14 Some events are so traumatic they become seared into memory. Randy Ryckman, Santa Monica. We miss them and have been thinking about them lately.. 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. News-Herald file photo by Larry Caruso. Boeing 737-800 passenger plane flight PS752 of Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) crashed near the International Airport of Imam Khomeini in Tehran, Iran, shortly after taking off on January 8, 2020. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Disclaimer: I must start out by saying that my heart goes out to the victims and their surviving friends and relatives. passengers and 6 crewmembers. Two weeks visiting her father and other relatives had been enough. On 16 August 1987, shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines, Thursday marks 25 years since Northwest Airlines, Cecelia Cichan was just four when she became the sole survivor of doomed Northwest Airlines, A granite monument honors those killed when Northwest Airlines, Cichan reportedly remembers little about the, On August 16, 2012 (the 25th anniversary of the, Tony Zanger shows the engagement ring his brother Michael wore when Northwest, . In total, 154 people on their way to Phoenix died that day in Detroit on August 16, 1987. After breakfast Sunday, she packed and then visited her grandmother. They had flown to Syracuse where they were from to have Katelyn baptized. John Thiede was a Romulus firefighter the night the plane crashed and he was on the north side of the crash scene within minutes. On Thursday, at Sisk Park in the Sun Lakes community in Chandler near South Alma School and Riggs roads, Rosemarie Geiger Testa, the mother of Ron Geiger, 36, who was on the flight with his family, will hold a memorial picnic for family members and Geigers friends. Don't knowingly lie about anyone Karl Sup, a computer software engineer for JDA Software in Scottsdale, remembers friend Mike Sullivan who was among 156 people killed in the crash of Northwest Flight 255 on August 16, 1987 as it . DETROIT, Mich. (WJRT) - Tuesday marks 35 years since one of the worst airplane crashes in Michigan's history. He was looking forward to moving after receiving a promotion at work. that is degrading to another person. In Toledo, Ohio, a week ago today, Hidi Ratliff was eager to get home to Santa Ana and begin cheerleading practice. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Pictured left to right: Mike Captain Crunch Sullivan, Dana McGinley-Schubert and Mike Benjamin in January, 1987. Northwest Airlines Flight 255, a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on August 16, 1987, at about 8:46 p.m. EDT (00:46 UTC August 17), killing all six crew members and 148 of its 149 passengers. The aftermath of the crash, 1978. There was a problem saving your notification. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism For some people affected by the incident, it was their first return to the site since the crash. U The left wing clipped a light pole, and the damaged airliner sheared the top off a rental car building. Bill was the star of the family who loved basketball. The would hang their Welcome Friends wreath at the new house, where there would be room for visitors and children they hoped to have soon. A financial consultant from Huntington Beach, she had been visiting her parents in the Arizona capital. Just before 8 she called and said she was leaving on Northwest Flight 255. DETROIT Authorities are searching for a man who, posing as a Catholic priest, comforted grieving relatives of the crash victims of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 while apparently soliciting . Registration: N312RC The two went together to have Lisas bridesmaids dress fitted. Douglas DC-9-82, U.S. When I look in the mirror, I have visual scars.. The stricken jet hit an Avis car hire building before crashing on to a road, hitting several vehicles and breaking apart before finally bursting into flames as it hit a bridge. Zanger said he last saw his brother, the middle of five brothers, the day of the crash when the family sat down for its traditional spaghetti dinner hours earlier. (Photo was handed out when the settlements occurred on June 20, 1984) no attribution on back of print . The postcrash investigation also found that a warning system that would have alerted the crew the plane was not properly configured for takeoff did not operate. 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. Its kind of hard not to think about it. The ticket was to be a present for his mother to visit the Tombascos at their new home in El Toro. Kennenth Spencer born 25th April 1915 at Los Angeles, was on his voyage to Berlin to celebrate his birthday with a concert there. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Detroit DEA battles spread of deadly fentanyl, animal tranquilizer xylazine, Detroit water protesters want moratorium on shut-offs to continue, Reports: Michigan football co-offensive coordinator on leave during police investigation, Mother of shooting victim livid that judge reduced suspect's bond due to his 'mental issues', Emanuel Steward's legacy lives on in Westland, Man arrested in fatal shooting of Detroit mother; charged with murder, armed robbery, Jaylin Brazier: Cousin who admitted to throwing cousin Zion Foster into dumpster released after 10 months, Detroit police and fire pension board sues WWE, Vince McMahon as shareholders. See Agent.. There was not much we could do.. AIRLINES, INC. accident occurred Sunday, August 16, 1987 at Romulus, With 58 persones aboard the airplane plunged into the Pontchartrain-Sea. The plane was just clearing the runway at 8:46 p.m. when it tilted slightly. Northwest A memorial to the victims of Flight 255 was erected near the scene of the crash and families of the victims have gathered there since on the anniversary. Cecelia has kept in touch with the families of those who died in the 1987 crash including her rescuer Lt Thiede. According to a National Transportation Safety Board report, the cause of the crash was the flight crews failure to use the taxi checklist to ensure the flaps and slats were extended for takeoff. (Courtesy theintell.com). The faces of some of the passengers on board the Airbus 320. Advertisement. The twin-engined McDonnell Douglas MD-82 then stalled, and hit a lighting pole at the end of the runway, which sliced 18 feet from its left wing and ignited jet fuel stored in the wing. Just after takeoff at 8:46 p.m. Aug. 16, the plane began rocking and took a 40-degree roll to the left that allowed the left wing to clip a light pole. Sullivan, 27, of Chandler, who worked as an electrical engineer at the Intel plant in Chandler, was among 156 people killed in the plane crash of Northwest Flight 22 on August 16, 1987 in Romulus, Mich. accounts, the history behind an article. There was nothing but a total ball of fire under the bridge, Joel Taylor, another motorist, told Cable News Network. Flight 255, a McDonnell Joanne, 18, had stayed until Sunday so she could spend the day with her boyfriend of five years, 21-year-old David Wilner. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Want to solve climate change? The Weavers were neighbors and friends of William Bill and Kathryn Kathy Best, who welcomed them to the neighborhood in 1985. Some people were seen carrying debris. Romulus firefighter Ron Thiede found the 4-year-old girl alive, still buckled in a booster seat strapped to her airline chair. Fatalities/No. We have a long days work out here documenting things before any bodies are moved, Wayne County Undersheriff Warren Evans said. Arlene Nelson, age 12, was from Detroit and Justin Keener, also 12, was from Scottsdale, Arizona. It was such a traumatic event for the entire community., Suzanne Weaver added: They were enthusiastic and very friendly. Zanger was attending his 5-year high school class reunion and Langton was home for her bridal shower. The 25th anniversary of the Michigan crash will be commemorated by victims' families . He was running, so I threw my jacket on him, Valasquez said. On 16 August 1987, shortly after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Northwest Airlines Flight 255 stalls and crashes just beyond the runway, killing . Flight 255 crashed seconds after taking off from Detroit for Phoenix, killing 156 people, including 110 from Arizona, on Aug. 16, 1987. The black granite memorial was erected in 1994 and stands on a hill above the road where the passengers perished. He was not expected to start, but he had a chance of seeing lots of playing time. The 25th anniversary of the Michigan crash will be commemorated by victims families today at the memorial site close to where the plane went down. (Photo courtesy of Karl Sup). Now, exactly 25 years after the disaster that claimed the lives of her parents and six-year-old brother, she has spoken for the first time about her experience. Operator: Northwest Airlines, Inc. racist or sexually-oriented language. The aircraft took off from Detroit Metropolitan . Northwest Airlines Flight 255. Nineteen-year-old Jennifer Moy of nearby Detroit . (Photo courtesy of Kris Stevens Starr). Cecelia Cichan was just four years old when she became the sole survivor of doomed Northwest Airlines Flight 255. You think about how much youve missed over the years. 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