The City of Miami Springs hosted a Beautiful Memorial Ceremony on Thursday, December 29, 2022. It marked the 50th anniversary of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 disaster. Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Everglades on a moonless night on December 29, 1972. The disaster took the lives of 101 souls on board. However, 75 people did survive the crash. The Memorial was attended by many of the survivors, family members, residents, and dignitaries.
The Memorial has been years in the making led by former Eastern Airlines Flight Attendant and Flight 401 survivor, Beverly Raposa. Her dogged determination was fruitful in getting the funding and location approved for the memorial. Without her hard work and support by so many, including fellow flight attendant and Flight 401 survivor, Mercy Ruiz, Flight 401 surviving passenger, Ron Infantino, and Flight 401 Supporter, Shannon Dewitt, this memorial would not be here today. Other supporters include the National Air Disaster Foundation, the City of Miami Springs, and Miami-Dade County.
NAMES OF PASSENGERS AND CREW LOST ON EASTERN AIRLINES FLIGHT 401
The names of all the souls lost that day were read aloud at the ceremony. A bell was rung as each person’s name was read.
The list of passengers who perished on Eastern Airlines flight EA401 and honored on the Memorial are:
- Elise Grace Agate
- Lourdes Albert
- Renee Joaquin Albert
- Muriel J. Ames
- Luis Bancroft
- Adelaide Geneve Bearman
- Lloyd irving Bearman
- Darrylle Becker
- Jerome Becker
- Ernest F. Bloodgood
- Loretta E. Bloodgood
- Mary Carfizzi
- Salvatore Carfizzi
- Charles Camichel
- Jose A. Carrasquillo
- Paquita Carrasquillo
- Donald Stanley Casadona
- Maureen I. Chesler
- Helen Marie Chestnut
- Richard Childs
- Aftabuddin Chowdhury
- Lucille Cilles
- Yetta Cohn
- Braulio Corretjer
- Silvia Crespo
- Jana Dedek
- Isell Delgado
- Evelyn De Salazar
- Susan Deutsch
- Judy Ellenberg
- Sara Escobar
- Varujan Eskihanci
- Solomon Fisher
- Greta Foye
- Jose Garcia
- Pedro Garcia
- Sharon Norene Gatti
- Bernanrd A. Goldfuss
- Jorge Gonzalez
- Maria Elena Gonzalez
- Dennis Gordon
- Diane Carol Greenblatt
- Abbey Lynn Greenwald
- Caridad Fermina Hernandez
- Pearl Hoffman
- Fara Lily Infantino
- Ethel L. Jackson
- Carol Susan Jackter
- Eduardo Jaramillo
- Ronald Jaye
- Carmen “Negi” Jorge
- Alina Junco
- Miguel Junco
- Jonathan Adam Kaminer
- Michael Ann Kaminer
- Selma Karpen
- Sylvan Karpen
- Rose Kashman
- Mildred Katz
- Charles Kuchenbrod
- Marc Leshay
- Jesus Lorenzo
- Rosa Lofano
- Susan Luna
- Julia Lustig
- Moe Lustig
- Barry L. Mancuso
- Rosemary Mancuso
- Dale Ann Mazzone
- Kenneith Michael Mazzone
- Rosario Messina
- Nicholas Minguzzi
- Alan Nachmia
- Henry Nunez
- Nery Palma
- Roberto Palma
- Elizabeth M. Pollack
- Anne Ponte
- Thomas Ponte
- Samuel J. Prager
- Jose Rego
- Ruth Elisa Romero Guerra
- Rochelle Rubin
- Unborn Baby Rubin
- Stefan Jay Rubin
- Barbara Ann Saal
- Patricia Renee Shackleford
- Klaus Schneck
- Eugene Schenker
- Richard J. Schulleri
- Allen M. Stark
- Warren Terry
- Janice Testa
- James Yandolino
- Murray Yellin
- Sadie Yellin
- Rose Lena Zollo
The list of pilots who perished on Eastern Airlines flight EA401 are:
- Robert Albin Loft
- Albert J. Stockstill
- Donald Louis Repo
The flight attendants who perished on the flight are:
- Patricia A. Ghyssels
- Stephanie Rae Stanich
SURVIVORS OF EASTERN AIRLINES FLIGHT 401
Fortunately, there were 75 survivors during that horrible tragedy of late 1972. But now, they still have to survive in the vast darkness of the gator infested Everglades. According to George Rodez who will be hosting a special event at the History Miami Museum, ”
A desperate search and rescue effort began almost immediately.
“If you can hear my voice, don’t light a match,” flight attendant Beverly Raposa called out as she regained consciousness in the darkness. Pieces of the shattered plane lay scattered in the muck and jet fuel stained the inky waters of the Everglades.
Robert Marquis, an airboat captain out hunting frogs that night, witnessed the crash and rushed to the rescue, suffering burns to his face, arms, and legs as he ferried survivors to safety. The heroism of Marquis and others and the heartbreaking loss of life that night are remembered and honored in an exhibit opening January 14 at HistoryMiami Museum in downtown Miami.
According to the Official Eastern Airlines Flight 401 history website, the passengers that survived the flight are:
- May Albury
- Verena Bieri
- Carl Bolufe
- Rigoberto Bolufe
- Sandra Burt
- Gustavo Cassado
- Mrs Xeimara Casado
- Miss Christina Casado
- Ann Connell
- Barry Connell
- Mariel Diegeriez
- Gerald W Eskow
- Sylvia Fisher
- Ms. F. Frankin
- Herbert Fresko
- Molly Fresko
- Alicia Garcia
- Julia Garcia
- Kathryn F.Gaudiello
- George Gaudiello
- Kenneth Glassman
- Kuniko Goldfuss
- Milton Hoffman
- Ronald Infantino
- Miguel Angel Junco Jr.
- David Kaplan
- Franklin Kent
- Anita Kent
- Helen Kupiec
- Jessie LaRusso
- James Laurie
- Mrs. Leone Levine
- Cornelia Leya
- Thomas McAvoy
- Joseph Mazur
- Rose Mazur
- Luis Mejia
- Richard N. Micale
- Albert J Morris
- Janice Minguzzi
- Christina Ochoa
- Allen Okanawsky
- Oneida Pares
- Aristides Pares
- Martha Pares
- Carlos Polanco
- Lucino Polanco
- Joseph Popson
- Richard Pragluski
- Goldez Quinico
- Evelyn Ragalia
- Marie Rego
- Glen Remkus*
- Francoise Riette
- Thomas Rothenberg
- Martin Siminerio
- Bonnie Silverman
- Donna Smith
- Millie Soberon
- Jerald Solomon
- Larry Sumpkins
- Marilyn Taylor
- Edward Ulrich
- Jesse C. Walker
- Allen Weiss
- Lorenzo Zetlin
In addition to the passengers, the following crew members and Eastern Airlines employees also survived the crash:
- Angelo Donadeo
- Patricia R Georgia
- Adrianne Ann Hamilton
- Jennifer Larsen
- Thomas Mulcahy
- Mercedes V Ruiz
- Beverly Jean Raposa
- Trudy J Smith
- Sue F. Tibbs
- Sharon R Transue
- Dorothy M Warnock
EA401 MEMORIAL LOCATION
To visit the Memorial, just head towards the Miami Springs Golf and Country Club and park at the southern edge of the parking along Curtiss Parkway or at the Driving Range. The Memorial is along the Curtiss Parkway median directly across from the driving range.
Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Memorial Photo Gallery
Local Media Coverage
“THAT PROMISE IS KEPT”: A monument honoring the 101 people who lost their lives when an Eastern Airlines plane went down in the Florida Everglades was unveiled in Miami Springs on the 50th anniversary of the crash. https://t.co/JqJcpRmMD4
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) December 30, 2022
HONORING FLIGHT 401 VICTIMS – Exactly fifty years ago, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 mysteriously slammed into the Florida Everglades at over 200 miles per hour. On Thursday the victims of that crash were honored with a memorial in Miami Springs. https://t.co/ILCK4DgRay
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) December 30, 2022
Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Disaster
What happened with Eastern Airlines Flight 401? It was the first jumbo jet disaster in the United States. What caused this modern jet to crash? Learn more about the crash, the survivors, and how procedures changed following the crash to ensure safety.
The Ghost of Flight 401 was a made for TV movie that was broadcast back in 1978.
Despite the crash, many of the parts from the flight 401 were recovered and found to be in good working order. As a result, some of those parts were used on other Eastern Airlines planes. However, following the disaster, there were many reported incidents of ghosts appearing on other Eastern Airlines flight. Specifically, planes that were using parts from the crashed Flight 401. Due to the volume of incidents, those parts were ordered removed from the other planes. The incidents reportedly ceased to happen after the parts were removed.
