This week, there will be a special commemoration of the new monument on Curtiss Parkway in memory of the 101 souls lost fifty years ago on Eastern Airlines Flight 401. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at 1pm on Curtiss Parkway, near the Miami Springs Golf Course.
Dedication of a Memorial Monument for the 50th Anniversary of Eastern Flight 401
Eastern Airlines Flight 401 crashed into the Everglades on December 29, 1972 as it was descending to land at Miami International Airport. Unfortunately, 101 passengers and crew perished in the accident. However, 75 people did survive the crash. And those survivors were in the pitch black darkness of the Everglades. We’re talking about 75 people who have varying degrees of injuries and now have to navigate an airplane wreckage in the alligator infested swamp.
What caused the crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401?
Video Recreation of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Accident
The video below recounts the moment by moment incident that led to the crash as well as interviews with some of the survivors and witnesses.
NAMES OF PASSENGERS AND CREW LOST ON EASTERN AIRLINES FLIGHT 401:
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.
The Memorial is located just South and West of the new “Miami Springs” sign that was erected on the Curtiss Parkway median.
DONATIONS
Donations are still being accepted no matter what amount. Checks can be made payable to:
National Air Disaster Foundation
2020 Pennsylvania Ave NW #315
Washington, DC 20006
Online Donations can be made at www.PlaneSafe.org
Click on contribute in the blue box in the right column of the home page.
After donating, please email the NADF Executive Director, Gail Dunhan so that she can send you an acknowledgement of your tax deductible donation. gadunham@aol.com
