continental airlines flight 1713 survivors
"As time passed, I became more confident that we were going to be all right . Thats one way of trying to get some distance from the situation . DENVER (AP) _ Here are the people who died as a result of the crash of Continental Flight 1713, based on information provided by the airline, the Denver Department of Health and Hospitals and the Denver County Coroners Office: Capt. I just hoped that it wouldnt hurt too much.. 'Some of them are of the crash. [1], At 13:51, Flight 1713 contacted the clearance delivery controller for permission to "taxi from the ice pad." Not only as an inspiration to live each moment with gratitude, but to also appreciate the small moments in life - and small decisions. Robbie Knapp, Boise, Idaho, fair. Max Richter, 45, Boise. Two years after Continental Airlines flight 1713 crashed while on take-off at Denver's Stapleton International Airport killing 28 people, memories among survivors still are vivid and their hearts and minds still are healing. April 28 (UPI) -- The PGA Tour's Mexico Open was briefly interrupted when a swarm of bees sent a group of golfers ducking in the grass. William Spalsbury, age, hometown unknown. There were five crew members and 77 passengers aboard, most from Idaho. Helpenstell had been flying home from his father's funeral when the DC9 jetliner cartwheeled seconds after takeoff and skidded, almost upside down, for a quarter-mile on the ground. The tragic crash killed The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation of the accident determined that the most probable cause of the accident was the failure on the part of the pilot in command to have the aircraft deiced a second time before takeoff. https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/23/us/rear-passengers-survived-air-crash.html. Josephine Bliss Glynn, 51, Kansas City, Mo.] Twenty-five passengers and three crew members died in the crash.[1]. Chicago mayor calls on Texas to cease sending migrants to the city, Daughter of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Shaquil Barrett drowns in family pool, First Republic Bank seized by regulators, sold to JPMorgan Chase, Florida Panthers rally past Boston Bruins for NHL playoff series upset, SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches following aborted mission, delays. Twenty-six people, including pilot Frank Zvonek, 43, co-pilot Lee Edward Bruecher, 26, the chief flight attendant, were killed outright. The News said at WebContinental Airlines Flight 1713was a commercial airline flight that crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airportin Denver, Colorado, on The David Daniel, 45, Idaho, improved over serious. Everyone was afraid of a fire, she said. WebThe left side of the plane and the flight deck hit the ground afterward and the plane continued to roll upside down. Helpenstell, hanging upside down in his seatbelt, was pried from the mangled wreckage of Continental Airlines Flight 1713 2 1/2 hours after it crashed on a runway at Stapleton Airport here. But the pilot was among the dead, and an airline employe who had talked to a survivor said most passengers near the front of the plane also had died. Vermeulen still is undergoing psychiatric care because of the feelings he has about the crash. Continental spokesmen would not say where the survivors had been seated in the plane. The Douglas [1] [4] [5] Notable victims [ edit] Several famous passengers were among the dead, including: Former world lightweight boxing champion Carlos Cruz, his wife and their two children. Agency Seeks Data. When the hurtling plane came to a rest -- its fuselage broken into three sections, its left wing sheared off -- Helpenstell was upside down in a fetal position, his head at the plane's floor and his back pressed against the seat in front of him. I heard that one young man, among the first out, went back in to help extricate people., Ritvo said the survivors he saw were really bearing up heroically . Some passengers on Flight 1713 were thrown from the plane by the impact. Documents supplied by Continental on Monday indicated that the system had not been fully tested because after it was installed in early 1987, the winter turned mild. Since the fatal crash, the two have collected countless newspapers and laminated clippings from reports of the crash. Douglas Self, 29, Kennewick, Wash., fair. The crash was observed by passengers on a Continental flight that was returning to Denver from a Las Vegas, Nev., convention of psychiatrists. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. [1] When the NTSB later issued its report on Delta 1141, it found that the Delta crew had also engaged in non-pertinent conversation, including a discussion of the cockpit voice recorder from the crash of Continental 1713.[16]. Caldwell police arrest New Jersey man suspected of sexually assaulting teen, 'It was a real surprise': Eagle Senior Center Inc. frustrated with city's decision to terminate lease, Record heat continues with isolated t-storms, then cooler by Friday, Flood watch in effect for portions of southeast Idaho, Wood River Foothills, 1 dead at site of small plane crash near Snoqualmie Pass, Plane crashes into building near Milan; all 8 aboard die, Remembering 9/11 through the eyes of three Idahoans. Continental Airlines Flight 1713 crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado on 15 November 1987. The News said at least 17 of the 25 passengers killed sat in rows eight through 15 - the middle section near where the plane broke into pieces. Before boarding the plane, he was the academic head at Nampa's Northwest Nazarene College. Some were screaming, but most people were real calm - just waiting their turns to get out.. Patti Halford, 27, Boise, Idaho, released. AIR DATE is July 4, 2018 for Discovery Canada and July 6, 2018 for Nat Geo Australia. Twenty-eight of the 82 people aboard died. As they were crawling out, passengers unbuckled the seat belts to help those who couldnt do it themselves. The pilot, Frank Zvonek, 43, had extensive experience in airplanes ranging from carrier-based Navy fighters to 727 widebody passenger jets, but he had only 33 hours` flight time as captain aboard the moderately sized DC-9s, and all of that had been in the warm weather months since June, Burnett said. [1] The remaining 52 passengers and two flight attendants survived. [1], During the investigation, the crew's low levels of experience on the DC-9 were brought up as possible causes. ''After the crash, the majority of people in the back were talking or getting out. Helpenstell, who escaped with only a broken finger and chills, was trapped in the wreckage for more than two hours before a man named Larry was able to free him. Her daughter, Molla, said today that Prasad had suffered a concussion but would be able to return home soon -- by train. [1] Based on this, the NTSB concluded that a small amount of ice on the wings had caused Flight 1713 to have significant controllability problems. He is critical of the efficiency-minded multidistrict litigation process, which forced federal suits to consolidate in Colorado, and bound litigants to the bellwether trial of Boisean Karen Svea Johnson. Daniel is pressing one of approximately 15 remaining lawsuits. The survivors included Vicky Prasad of Gaithersburg, Md., who works at CNA Insurance Co. in Rockville. "It's terribly frustrating that it takes so long to get anything accomplished," Daniel said. [7], The NTSB investigated the accident. (Credit NASA) Confusion and delays NTSB investigators discovered that the fatal blow to Continental 1713 was ice contamination which was not removed prior to take-off. Some of those passengers were able to disentangle others from seat belts or wreckage. WebSurvivors: 54: Continental Airlines Flight 1713 was a commercial airline flight that crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Planes are grounded at Stapleton when forward visibility drops to less than 1,600 feet because ''that visibility indicates heavy amounts of snow and ice in the air,'' Burnett explained. Comstock said the case was the biggest of his career and the most frustrating. "We slide for a quarter-mile upside down. 'Fog of bees' briefly interrupts PGA Tour's Mexico Open. BOISE, Idaho It was 34 years ago that Continental Flight 1713 en route to Boise crashed on the runway of Denver's old Stapleton Airport. He said there was little conversation among the waiting survivors. WebNEW EPISODE INFO Season 18, Episode 10 will feature Continental Airlines Flight 1713 (15 November 1987) and is titled 'Dead Of Winter'. The NTSB said it is still too early to tell whether there was any major system malfunction. Stapleton International Airport spokesman Richard Boulware speculated the fire may have been the result of a gas tank catching fire behind the plane. Stranded bear rescued from Nevada tree using tranquilizer, tarp. He suffered hypothermia, despite rescuers attempts to warm trapped passengers with auxiliary power units. Advanced search. [11] [12] [13] Investigators also discovered that before he began working for Continental, Bruecher had been dismissed from another airline after failing on three occasions to pass a flight examination. "It's with me; it's a part of every day.". The flight was headed for Boise, Idaho, when the crash occurred in a severe snowstorm. "It's really eye-opening to see how long the process takes. Fred H. Helpenstell, a physician from Nampa, Idaho, was trapped in the fuselage for two hours. "I feel guilty because people died. John Galipault, founder of the Aviation Safety Institute, said the front of an airplane hits first in most crashes. "After a few minutes of euphoria, I thought, 'We're going to burn now,' " Helpenstell recalled. James Marria, 38, Boise, Idaho, critical. He said he was wedged between the wall of the plane on his right side and another trapped passenger on his left. The crash was the subject of episode 10, season 18 of Mayday, titled "Dead of Winter". --Mechanical failure. Investigators interviewed eight of the Continental survivors and several people who saw the crash from a United Airlines jet landing on the next runway. Where there was tragedy, there were also miracles, and stories of tremendous luck and even greater courage. Reports from rescue workers indicated that most passengers who were thrown out of the plane were killed. Continental merged with UAL Corporation (the parent company of United Airlines) via a stock swap in 2010, and the integration was completed in 2012. The plane skidded through the freshly fallen snow for more than 1,500 feet, overturning and finally breaking into three major pieces, scattering baggage and debris in its icy wake. [1] The first officer rotated the airplane at more than 6/sec or twice the recommended rate. DENVER (AP) _ Debi Paschkov says she woke from a doze aboard Continental Airlines Flight 1713 to feel the plane sliding on the runway and see a ball of fire right outside her window. A few terrible moments later, the mangled remains of the plane came to rest in the snow. . They expect to spend many months probing why the jet, taking off for Boise, crashed in a blinding snowstorm Sunday, killing 28. The plane crashed during takeoff Sunday, killing 26 people and injuring 56. Burnett also disclosed that tapes of conversations between the Continental pilot and Stapleton International Airport`s control tower show that the jet had been de-iced at 1:51 p.m. Sunday and that the tower didn`t allow it to take off until 2:14 p.m. Twenty-four minutes after the plane was de-iced at Continental`s newly installed ''de-icing pad,'' pilot Zvonek gunned its engines on his takeoff roll down a runway where visibility was only 2,000 feet. My weight pushing against the seat belt made it impossible for me to open the buckle with my right hand. "I was on a professional track, and I was knocked off that track," Watson said. Cookie policy. But many other passengers had to wait until rescue crews with heavy tools could cut them loose. . (The airline had erroneously said Sunday that the flight had come from Oklahoma City.). Alligator removed from South Carolina resident's garage. WebInitial survivor [ edit] The only person to initially survive the crash was Stephen Baltz, an 11-year-old boy from Wilmette, Illinois. Engelhardt, of Denver, was released from the hospital Monday but asked not to be disturbed. There will undoubtedly be tears shed - tears of joy for the 54 who lived, tears of sorrow for the 28 who perished. Climate change sparks disaster fears, Police manhunt continues for suspect in Texas mass shooting, A powerhouse U.S. doctor slain in Sudan, killed for nothing, In final Mass in Budapest, pope urges Hungary to open doors, What GOPs plan for Medicaid work requirements would mean. However, investigators were reported to be focusing on a number of possible factors: --The weather. Rescue workers, their hair and faces coated with still-falling snow, set up bright stage lights around the darkened plane so they could see inside. He said she was rescued first and he never learned her name. As he emerged into the arms of a fireman, he began to realize how fortunate he was. I can see the pilot and I want to take control. . No plans were made for a second observance, which some attribute to a yearning by survivors to get on with their lives. . Two other survivors, Robert Linck, 60, of Green Pond, N. J., and Laura Hobbs, 20, of Eagle, Ida., also told dramatic stories on Monday. In the crash I was involved in, I went in and started helping people. It broke into three large chunks of metal and slid a quarter-mile down the runway. [14] [15] Investigators likewise determined that First Officer Bruecher was at the controls at the time of the accident. "I have a good deal of guilt," Helpenstell said today at Denver's St. Luke's Presbyterian Hospital. "I thought, my Lord," he said today. survival-factors group is trying to piece together its own a seating chart. Continental said the 21-year-old plane passed its last routine inspection Oct. 27 and had flown only 126 hours since then. Frank Zvonek, 43, 18-year Continental pilot, Carlsbad, He returned to a new job at the college in January: assistant to the president. [8] [9], In July 1988, Continental Airlines filed a report with the NTSB positing the causes of the crash as wake turbulence, poor snow plowing on the runway and errors by air traffic controllers. On Nov. 15, 1987, a Boise-bound DC-9 jetliner flipped and crashed shortly after takeoff at the busy Denver airport. The plane flipped on its left side and rolled over, breaking in the middle and at least one other place. During the six weeks he tried to work this fall, takeoffs and landings were a white-knuckle experience that seemed to get worse. The flight, which left in a blinding snowstorm, was en route to Boise with 77 passengers and a crew of five. They eventually were able to put up large space heaters to warm the trapped passengers as temperatures fell and night winds blew. As survivors struggle to heal bodies and minds, a liability tug-of-war drags on, possibly for years to come. the Nampa, Idaho, surgeon said today as he recovered from his remarkably minor injuries: hypothermia and a broken finger. Survivors were taken to Denver-area hospitals, where three were in critical condition today. He said he told her: Youre talking fast enough, youve got to be getting oxygen.. The takeoff was delayed about two hours because of the heavy snow driven by a 20-mph wind. Of the 82 occupants on board (77 passengers and 5 ''All I know is that the middle took it the worst,'' Mr. Benzon said. Helpenstell recalled today that rescuers reached him fairly soon after the crash but were unable to move him until they had removed several rows of seats behind him. "I haven't found a way to put it out of my mind," said Dave Daniel, a Melba High School teacher, who lost his wife in the wreckage. I play the same scenario all the time. The left wing exploded in a ball of fire. The NTSB said Bruecher, who had only 36 hours of flight time in a DC-9, was at the controls when the plane took off. The pounding he took in the Continental Airlines crash in Denver two years ago today has erased a full month from his consciousness. Two of the students and one of the adults were listed as missing and presumed dead today; the others are recovering from injuries. Patrick Lovelady, 17, Melba, Idaho, fair but stable. ''I had a feeling most people who died were in the front,'' said Shirley Weltz, 49 years old, who sat three rows from the back of the plane. I never passed out. . He said that the planes two black boxes were both recovered in good condition and sent to Washington for analysis. Nebraska students toss water balloons for Guinness World Record. "I'd say there was more frustration than gratification, watching what delays will do to people.". She was rubbing his hands to keep him as warm as possible, Hicks said. Continental Airlines Flight 1713 was taking off from Stapleton Airport for Boise, Idaho. I thought I was going to die. [1] Flight 1713 was Bruecher's first flight after a 24-day absence from flight duties and the NTSB concluded that this prolonged absence had eroded the newly hired first officer's retention of his recent training, which contributed to his poor takeoff performance.[1]. Nicholas Goldberg: Is God on the side of blasphemy laws? Hobbs, an Idaho State University student returning from a Future Farmers of America Convention in Kansas City, said that when the plane crashed, she slid along the ground while strapped into the center of a three-section seat with two other people. Said Comstock, "They lost most of their steam; their emotional desire was drained from them.". I'm thinking that maybe there should be a national organization for plane crash survivors. [1] As the DC-9 was taking off, the pilot in control over-rotated; the DC-9 descended and the left wing struck the ground, causing the wing to separate. From a layman's perspective, it seems to be very inefficient.". Paschkov, 32 of Boise, and her 6-year-old daughter, Melissa, were at Denver General Hospital this morning. NAME: Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Eventually, they cut a hole in the side of the plane beside him and slid him out feet first. Attached photo | imgur Mirror Attached photo | imgur Mirror Attached photo | imgur Mirror Attached photo | imgur Mirror Burnett noted that the jet had been on the ground longer than 20 minutes after it had been sprayed with antifreeze in preparation for takeoff. When she heard her mother had survived, Molla Prasad said, "I thought about all the times I was being obnoxious. "And that was flying up in our face, along with snow, and gravel and rocks, and everything else.". At the news briefings Tuesday, Burnett indicated that investigators are paying particular attention to suspicions that ice on the wings caused the disaster. . Two more passengers died later. [15], Investigators determined that 27 minutes elapsed between the conclusion of deicing and Flight 1713's attempt to take off, seven minutes longer than should have been allowed to elapse before takeoff. A fuel-fed flash fire ignited in the left wing shortly after it struck the ground, causing a "fireball" inside the cabin. But he said seat selection is unimportant because fire often spreads throughout an airplane after a crash. Two hours after the crash, Allegrezza finally was cut loose from the wreckage and taken to a Denver hospital. The whole fuselage twisted like a chicken whose neck was wrung, said airport official Richard Boulware. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Flexible dates. And so, as far as it shaped me who I am because Im just glad to be here more than anything.". [5] At 13:03, Flight 1713 taxied from its gate to the deicing pad; unfortunately, air traffic controllers were not aware that Flight 1713 had departed the gate because the flight crew had done so without first requesting taxi clearance. Then came the crash, serious head injuries and lengthy rehabilitation. Cipri said he heard one man trapped in the fuselage yelling, Get me out of here 3/8 but the man was dead by the time rescuers reached him. I was grateful that I would have a second chance.". 1 More posts from the aircrashinvestigation community 137 Posted by u/Yeet_Man1982 7 days ago Incident/Accident . [1] Combined with the effects of ice on the wing, the high climb rate caused the plane's left wing to stall and the plane to begin rolling over. [1], Flight 1713 was cleared for takeoff at 14:14. A lot of people were screaming. [1] Having already completed deicing, Flight 1713's crew seem to have interpreted this new clearance to mean they could now taxi from the pad and proceed to the runway. The whole thing did a somersault. "There's no doubt in my mind that the anniversary will be a very black day for many of them," said Denver attorney John Breit, who has handled many of the survivors' lawsuits. [2] [1] In 21 years of service, it had accumulated over 52,400 flight hours and over 61,800 cycles. Continental spokesman Bruce Hicks said the two surviving flight attendants from the five-member crew ignored their own injuries to help passengers in the aftermath of the disaster. April 28 (UPI) -- An isolated private island off the coast of Scotland is for sale with an asking price of about $188,000. In February 1990, Reader's Digest detailed the flight crew and some of the passengers in its article "Miracle In The Blizzard.". I heard people say, Im sorry my foots in your face, and there were some words of encouragement like Dont worry, theyre coming, but mostly it was quiet, Helpenstell said. My psychiatrist tells me that the same thing happened in the crash. 'After you've been through one (crash), you sometimes think you're all alone with your feelings. See the article in its original context from. But if you ask me if I would have rather died, I would say no.". She recalled that a man on one side of her made a gurgling sound when he breathed and a woman on the other side was bleeding. As the world would soon discover, a co-pilot with a questionable training record and only 36 hours of experience flying commercial aircraft was at the controls. Burnett recalled that the FAA had rejected the suggestion, ''and we reconsidered and concurred. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) characterized the crash as "nonsurvivable". Twenty-one passengers were able to walk out of the wreckage, and were treated for shock. Economy. The seats that we originally had where the plane split apart from the middle front, we would have been dead. But a split-second later, he said, the plane began to tilt sharply to the right. Frank B. Zvonek, 42, Continental pilot, Carlsbad, Calif. First Officer Lee Edward Bruecher, 26, Houston, Texas. Two flight attendants and 52 passengers survived. "There was discomfort, but no hysteria," among the passengers as they hung upside down in their seat belts awaiting rescue, he recalled. Web22 Continental Flight 1713 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 22 Continental Flight 1713 Premium High Ice contamination shown on a wing. I tried to think about other things--other trips, things in the past, my wife and family, he said. April 28 (UPI) -- A lost dog in Northern Ireland was found 26 days later after walking more than 40 miles to the home of his former owners. DENVER For two hours after the crash of Flight 1713, Dr. Tom Allegrezza sat upside down, strapped into his seat, while jet kerosene fuel dripped down on his clothing and soaked the blanket firefighters had provided to keep him warm during their rescue effort. April 28 (UPI) -- A South Carolina woman won a $300,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket just three years after winning a $250,000 lottery jackpot. The extent of her injuries was not known. But I'm still every day waking up trying to figure out what that is," Jennifer Allegrezza said. The plane lifted off the ground, dipped one way and then back, caught a wing and flipped on its top. The crash killed 28 people. Broke in the Middle. Burnett said those preliminary interviews indicate the following scenario: Just after it disappeared into the white wall of snow out of view of the next plane awaiting takeoff, the DC-9 pitched violently to the left, then to the right, and flipped over, landing on its back. [1] According to the aircraft's manufacturer, even a modest amount of ice contamination on the upper wing could impair the lifting performance of the wings and lead to loss of roll and pitch control. '', Continental has declined to release seating information, saying it may be inaccurate because passengers frequently switch seats. WebBoise, Idaho. I remember thinking, Im going to die 3/8 This is it 3/8 and then I wondered what its going to feel like, Helpenstell said of the moments before the crash. A ball of flame passed by us as were skidding along.. "Just to process what had happened was pretty crazy," Jennifer Allegrezza, who was only 11 years old at the time of the crash, said. ''It was very, very bad,'' he recalled. ''We had a good de-icing treatment,'' Allegrezza said, ''but then the plane was still on the ground 20 or 25 minutes later and I could see snow on the wing. Continental said a memorial service for the victims was planned this afternoon at Denver University. Because they all died there.". Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Linck said a fireball erupted through the passenger compartment about five seconds after takeoff and the plane pitched wildly out of control. . Both pilots and 26 others on the plane were killed. Watson recently joined the majority of survivors in accepting a settlement offer from the airline's insurance carrier. And legal battles continue. I didnt know if I was in the front or the side (of the plane) until I got out, she said. But Laura Hobbs, of Eagle, Idaho, survived with minor injuries despite flying out of the plane and sliding along the snowy runway, still strapped into her seat. April 28 (UPI) -- A bear stuck in a Nevada tree was rescued by wildlife officials and firefighters who tranquilized the bruin and then caught the large animal in a tarp. Twenty-eight people lost their lives on Nov. 15, 1987. It would be nice to know there are people who are going through the same thing. When we stopped on impact, I was surprised that everything {on his body} worked all right.". May 1 (UPI) -- Police in England said a pig spotted running loose on a village road was returned to its owner thanks to a loaf of bread. The tragic crash killed 28 people, and 54 people survived. Dr. Fred Helpenstell, 56, Nampa, Idaho, released. On September 27, 1988, the NTSB published a final report on its investigation into the crash, attributing the accident to the captain's failure to have the plane deiced a second time, the first officer's poor takeoff performance, confusion between the pilots and air traffic controllers, which contributed to delays, compounded by a cockpit crew where both pilots were relatively inexperienced on the aircraft type. Kenneth Watson, 45, Nampa, Idaho, critical but stable. On that date last year, Vermeulen was sitting in the first-class section of Continental Airlines Flight 1713 as it began rolling down the snow-covered Runway 35-Left at Stapleton International Airport.
