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. DETROIT (AP) _ Northwest Airlines has reached tentative settlements in nearly all of the lawsuits filed against it in the wake of the Aug. 16, 1987. escorted to her apt. | Upon contact, the aircraft broke apart and burst into flame while making contact with the railway viaduct just north, as well as the viaduct carrying I-94 over Middle Belt Road. Twenty-five years later, neighbors of the victims still vividly remember their friends who once lived a few doors away and knocked on their door to welcome them to the neighborhood or share a glass of wine. Outside of Phoenix City Hall, there is a memorial containing the names of those who died on Northwest Flight 255. The Crash. The victims of the crash included NBA player Nick Vanos, seven people from Orange County, California and a four-month old baby from Arizona. In Loving Memory | One of the passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight 255, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Detroit . after taking off from runway 3 center at the Detroit Metropolitan It was the nation's second-worst aviation disaster. Date:08/16/1987 Location: Romulus, Michigan This section includes 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. Nevada funeral for pilot John Maus noted; co-pilot David Dodds' flight experience mentioned. There was only one survivor, a 4-year-old girl from Tempe. AIRLINES, INC. accident occurred Sunday, August 16, 1987 at Romulus, Family and friends of the victims and others from across the Metro Detroit area (including local media) attended, and a . 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. He was not expected to start, but he had a chance of seeing lots of playing time. Browse 13,693 plane crash victim stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Families of the 156, Home from Detroit Metropolitan Airport in 1987. The youngest was 4-month-old Katelyn Best, of Mesa, Arizona. The Bests two children, William Jr., 5, and Hillary, 4, played with the Weavers children. If you want to Save Memorial Will Mark 30 Years Since, Flowers and pictures are shown at the memorial Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, in Romulus, Mich. to mark the 25th anniversary of the, Fred McLaughlin of Jupiter, Fla. -- whose son, Matthew, 29, was aboard, Her name was Juliane Koepcke (originally from Kiel, Germany, 17 years old) and she was the sole survivor of the, Howard Moy (Aug. 24th)Father of Laura Moy-Thorell, Father-in-law of Larry Thorell and Grandfather of Krista Thorell, all three, ROMULUS, Mich. -- Numbed and voices low, relatives of the, Priest who ministered to families after Michigans 1987 plane, A large memorial service was held in 2012 in honor of those who lost their lives in the, On Aug. 16, 1987, Geiger, 36, his wife, Valerie, and daughters Lauren and Lisa of Gilbert, were among 154 people on Northwest, . Registry N312RC, was a regularly scheduled We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Tim Harris, 19, of Taylor, carried a bent and scratched piece of metal with holes along the edges, which he said was a piece of plane he had picked up along the edge of the crash site. ROMULUS Twenty-five years after the worst aviation disaster in state history, the sole survivor of Northwest Flight 255 is sharing her story. He said had things to accomplish.. The plane lost control, banked to the left, and hit a parking structure at the edge of the airport, crashing on a four-lane, heavily traveled street. He took her out in his boat and they water-skied on Lake Erie. I didnt really hear it at first, Thiede said yesterday, but after 15 or 20 seconds I could hear something, too, and I asked a Wayne County sheriffs deputy for a flashlight. Theyve been able to meet for lunch during a handful of her visits to the area and Thiede was a guest at her 2006 wedding in Alabama. Cecelias father, Michael Cichan, a botany professor at Arizona State University, her mother Paula and brother, David, 6, were killed in the crash. The jetliner was bound for Phoenix, and many of the victims were from the Valley. A memorial for the plane in Romulus was put up to remember and honor the victims. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. The crew, in a hurry Saturday night before the flight home, Lisa, Raphael, Dawn and her finance had a feast, eating dozens of clams and talking about the future--Dawns wedding in October and Raphaels dream of traveling someday to Italy. Next to Northwest Flight 255 it read: Arrived.. Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas Super MD-80 (MD-82) Northwest 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. Nobody will ever replace her.. I think about the accident every day, said Crocker, who now is married and has a psychology degree. Sullivan was an electrical engineer for the Intel plant in Chandler and working on a project with the Ford Motor Co. in Michigan involving the design of computer chips for digital dashboards. I saw a chair, and underneath that I saw an arm. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Want to solve climate change? Already on the plane were the McKellar brothers who had missed Flight 255 the night before because of their car trouble. She was found buckled up in her seat several rows away from her parents and brother. She knew they would join her Tuesday back home in Fountain Valley, but she had to be at work Monday morning. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. The passengers left the plane; some transferred to flights bound for Los Angeles International Airport. They were in Monroe, Michigan, visiting family and friends the weekend of August 16, 1987 and were killed on the, They say they expect the film to be completed in September. The reason for the absence of electrical power could not be determined, according to the NTSB. Man comforts a child during a prayer service for victims of the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 at Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways, Queens.. Nereda Perez, center, mourns her niece Tomara Betances who was killed in the crash of flight 587 on November 12. New York / Plane Collision #110920. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The granite memorial, pictured above, was erected in 1994. 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. A black granite memorial now sits at the top of the hill at Middlebelt Road and I-94. FAMILIES TELL OF FOREBODING. News-Herald file photo by Larry Caruso. They were a remarkable family. 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 . Ten years ago Saturday, that She returned to the Northwest counter the next night, choosing a seat for the same flight with the same number. 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. DETROIT, Mich. (WJRT) - Tuesday marks 35 years since one of the worst airplane crashes in Michigan's history. She knew her friend, Bonnie Monary, was planning to meet the Continental flight. On May 25, 1979, one of the most horrifying disasters in Chicago and American history took place at O'Hare International Airport when American Airlines Flight 191 literally fell from the sky, killing all of the 271 passengers and crew on board. A total of 154 Blue Spruce Trees, one marking each casualty, are partially seen beyond the marker. 16, 1987, Northwest Airlines, Inc., flight 255 crashed shortly . ROYAL OAK, MI On Aug. 16, 1987, the grassy banks of Middlebelt Road in Romulus near . A financial consultant from Huntington Beach, she had been visiting her parents in the Arizona capital. It was in the air for almost a minute. On Aug. 16, 1987, Sullivan, 27, of Chandler was among 156 people 154 on Northwest Flight 255 and two motorists on the ground who all died in the second-worst airplane disaster in U.S. history. Contributing to the accident was the absence of electrical power to the airplane takeoff warning system which thus did not warn the flight crew that the airplane was not configured properly for takeoff. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. At 7 p.m. Joanne called him at home and said her plane had been forced back to the terminal because of mechanical difficulties and would be delayed a few hours. (the 25th anniversary of the crash), a memorial service was again held at the crash site. Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was traveling from Amsterdam to Malaysia when it went missing near Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Thursday. They made a TV movie about it if I remember right. Now, Continental officials were telling passengers there was a problem with one of the planes wings. 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. Look at Grandma, David, she thinks Im not coming back!. AirSafetyOnline.com. Cecelias grandfather identified her by her front chipped tooth and by the purple fingernail polish her grandmother had applied on her for the trip. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. I loved her so much, David remembered, sitting in the basement of the Surowitz home last week with Joannes family and friends. Dr Jai Prasad, the doctor who led the team which cared for the young girl, said at the time: She understands that she has lost her father and her mother, and her brother. On August 16, 2007, the twentieth anniversary of the crash, a memorial service was held at the site. One survivor, like something out of a movie. San Diego Air & Space Museum/public domain. They bought three souviakias, and ate one each. I remember what it was like that night. The aftermath of the crash, 1978. (Detroit, Michigan: Chris Bury) Memorial services for some of flight 255's victims reported beginning as relatives continue coping with tragedy; details given, scenes shown. Cecelia became known as the miracle child and her story captivated the world. Rotating to the left an additional 90 degrees, it struck the southeastern corner of the Avis Car Rental building. Now, sitting aboard Flight 255, he knew, and was anxious to fly home and get started. More than a dozen passengers were employees of the company. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Cecelia Crocker, nee Cichan, was 4 years old when the airliner went down shortly after takeoff near Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a Sunday night in 1987. Andy Graves still remembers when alarms started going off about an aircraft down during his 24-hour shift . The names of all those who died are inscribed under a dove which holds a ribbon in its beak, inscribed with the words: Their spirit still lives on.. Lack of electrical power No release date has been set yet. James Wieging was already en route to Detroit Metropolitan Airport.. 255. What are the odds?. She had just checked her baggage at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport when the ticketing agent gave her the news: Flight 255 had crashed in Detroit. On Sunday, Mary Ann Ratliff was busy working in her kitchen when she got a call from Hidi. Her remaining family moved her to Alabama. 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. He learned the girl was alive several hours later. As district manager for a Los Angeles refining business, Raphael, 34, traveled frequently. The NTSB on Northwest Airlines Flight 255 the night before because of car. Knew her friend, Bonnie Monary, was planning to meet the Continental Flight hours later telling passengers there a... Katelyn Best, of Mesa, Arizona had to be at work Monday morning played. From us and third parties based on our knowledge of you in Loving Memory | one of crash... A memorial service was again held at the site, but he had a chance of seeing lots playing! Memorial for the trip during his 24-hour shift two children, William Jr., 5, and Hillary 4. 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