''It was very, very bad,'' he recalled. Burnett recalled that the FAA had rejected the suggestion, ''and we reconsidered and concurred. [1], The NTSB also determined that First Officer Bruecher's poor performance during takeoff had likely contributed to his loss of control of the airplane. Of the 82 occupants on board (77 passengers and 5 and there was a thump--not a violent thing--and then it lurched to the left in the same way, the Idaho surgeon said. Those riding the Denver-to-Boise flight included a group of eight from the high school in the tiny town of Melba, just south of Boise. DENVER -- Paul Vermeulen still has nightmares about last Nov. 15, and figures he probably always will. Flight 1713 was operated using a 21-year old McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14, a twin-engined, narrow-body jet airliner with the registration number N626TX. Cookie policy. 25 people died while the other 52 survived. Diane McElhiney, 40, Mountain Home, Idaho, guarded. Boise was selected because most of the victims were from the Boise area. Flight attendant Diana Mechling, 33, Aurora, Colo. Anthony Nasrallah, 2 1/2 , Jacksonville, Fla. Peter Nasrallah, 6 months, Jacksonville, Fla. Herman A. Klaassen, 53, Mountain Home, Idaho. Get the day's top news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning. Kenneth Watson, 45, Nampa, Idaho, critical but stable. S.C. woman wins $300,000 lottery prize -- her second jackpot in 3 years. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. One flight attendant, Diana Mechling, 33, died in the crash; two other flight attendants survived. 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, Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. A study of passenger seating by The Rocky Mountain News, based mainly on interviews with survivors and relatives of those who died, determined where 60 of the 82 passengers and crew members were seated. 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. 'It was my idea, but Mom and Dad have done most of the work because they live in Boise.'. When the NTSB released its report on Flight 1713, it specifically mentioned the fact that "almost 3 minutes of non-pertinent social conversation" had occurred before takeoff. I just hoped that it wouldnt hurt too much.. My weight pushing against the seat belt made it impossible for me to open the buckle with my right hand. Not only as an inspiration to live each moment with gratitude, but to also appreciate the small moments in life - and small decisions. [7], The NTSB investigated the accident. "And that was flying up in our face, along with snow, and gravel and rocks, and everything else.". The psychiatrist said many of the survivors had not yet felt the emotional impact of the event, but might eventually experience insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks and guilt. [1] The heaviest snowfall rate occurred between 13:10 and 14:20 MST, with the peak snowfall rate occurring around 13:50. 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. [4], At the time of the accident on Sunday afternoon, the National Weather Service was reporting moderate wet snow at Stapleton International Airport. Burnett noted that safety board files show that three DC-9 jets similar to the jet that crashed Sunday, called a DC-9-10, have crashed because of ice buildup on the leading edges of their wings. They eventually were able to put up large space heaters to warm the trapped passengers as temperatures fell and night winds blew. 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. The plane sat on the ground 27 minutes after being de-iced, although Continental's policy requires de-icing every 20 minutes. Patrick Lovelady, 17, Melba, Idaho, fair but stable. . Frank Zvonek, 43, 18-year Continental pilot, Carlsbad, [1] Deicing was completed at 13:46. Plaintiff attorneys said the verdict was a blow to other survivors. [1] Of the surviving passengers, 25 received minor injuries and 27 received serious injuries. [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. ''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. . --Fire. When she heard her mother had survived, Molla Prasad said, "I thought about all the times I was being obnoxious. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Survivors were taken to Denver-area hospitals, where three were in critical condition today. [1] The left side of the DC-9 and cockpit struck the ground next and the DC-9 continued rolling, inverted. Because that day 34 years ago, it was a small decision that saved their lives. But a N.T.S.B. 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. 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. spokesman, Fred Farrar, also played down the role of seat selection, although he conceded that the F.A.A. [1] In addition, five passengers died of head injuries secondary to blunt trauma and 9 passengers died of asphyxia. Two more passengers died later. Aviation officials said that the black boxes were expected to yield helpful data about the planes final moments. "We slide for a quarter-mile upside down. He added that the safety board recently warned commuter airlines against assigning new pilots and copilots to the same flight. He had 12,125 hours of flight experience, but only 166 hours on the DC-9, or "in type." He said that the planes two black boxes were both recovered in good condition and sent to Washington for analysis. "I was sliding along the ground," an animated Hobbs said today. He made five flights before he had to stop because of the terrible nightmares. [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. Two flight attendants and 52 passengers survived. Six students -- nearly one-fifth of the senior class -- and their two adult advisers from Melba High School were returning from a Future Farmers of America convention. The cold was horrible. All Rights Reserved, SCARS REMAIN FROM DENVER DC-9 CRASH 2 YEARS LATER. Jim Burnett, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board team investigating the crash, said that it could take months to determine what caused the accident. Some witnesses reported a brief fire on-board as the plane crashed, although the NTSB said that none of the victims suffered burns. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? . The technical writer, who lost an eye in the crash, sought millions of dollars and wound up with $800,000 in compensation. I found that if I could disconnect and think about how Thanksgiving would be, or something in the future, that would help. The flight, which left in a blinding And legal battles continue. ''We call it a slick-wing aircraft,'' Burnett said of the DC-9-10, which was introduced in 1966. DENVER, NOV. 16 -- Dr. Fred Helpenstell spent the first 10 seconds certain he would die. Before boarding the plane, he was the academic head at Nampa's Northwest Nazarene College. 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. He was thrown from the plane into a snowbank, where his burning clothing was extinguished. 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. . It broke into three large chunks of metal and slid a quarter-mile down the runway. He had 3,186 flight hours, but only 36 hours on the DC-9, which was the extent of his turbojet experience and he had not flown at all for the past 24 days. Twenty-one passengers were able to walk out of the wreckage, and were treated for shock. 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. "I thought, my Lord," he said today. Allegrezza, a chiropractor from Boise, Idaho, was the first of the 54 surviving passengers to be interviewed by safety board investigators. A lot of people were screaming. The clearance delivery controller, believing that Flight 1713 was still at the gate and requesting to proceed to deicing, instructed the flight to contact Ground Control, who then cleared Flight 1713 to taxi to the deicing pad. I tried to think about other things--other trips, things in the past, my wife and family, he said. She was rubbing his hands to keep him as warm as possible, Hicks said. One survivor told me that what he saw on the news this morning--he had been in the tail section of the plane--must have been about a different plane. He doesn`t know what caused his night of terror aboard Continental Airlines Flight 1713. "My mind got banged around, and it left me different. Dr. Jonathan Ritvo, director of psychiatric emergency services at Denver General Hospital, said he was impressed with the human spirit that comes out at times like these . A survivor of a 1987 Continental Airlines crash has been awarded slightly more than $800,000 in damages, about half what Continental officials say she was offered in an out-of-court settlement. April 28 (UPI) -- A Nebraska high school said it broke a Guinness World Record when more than 1,000 students participated in a water balloon toss event. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Two hours after the crash, Allegrezza finally was cut loose from the wreckage and taken to a Denver hospital. Times researcher Dallas Jamison contributed to this story. Then came the crash, serious head injuries and lengthy rehabilitation. Her daughter, Molla, said today that Prasad had suffered a concussion but would be able to return home soon -- by train. "It's with me; it's a part of every day.". Twenty-five passengers and three crew members died in the crash.[1]. Where there was tragedy, there were also miracles, and stories of tremendous luck and even greater courage. Since the fatal crash, the two have collected countless newspapers and laminated clippings from reports of the crash. [2] [1] In 21 years of service, it had accumulated over 52,400 flight hours and over 61,800 cycles. ''After the crash, the majority of people in the back were talking or getting out. Aussie tourist 'very sorry' for drunken, nude rampage in Indonesia. [1] [6], A total of 25 passengers and three crew members died due to the crash; the final two fatalities succumbed while hospitalized. He said he told her: Youre talking fast enough, youve got to be getting oxygen.. Vermeulen suffered four broken ribs and a punctured lung in the crash, but had recovered enough by late winter to run in the Long Beach, Calif., marathon. Agency Seeks Data. Continental has since boosted its minimum-experience standards for pilots - the biggest reform to spring from the tragedy. 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. A National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded the plane wasn't sufficiently deiced before takeoff. Airport officials said Flight 1713, which had arrived here from Wichita a short time earlier, stopped for de-icing before taxiing into position to take off for its final leg to Boise, Ida. 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. Many survivors and other witnesses said they saw a ball of flame shortly before the plane went down, although rescuers and airport officials say the wreckage shows few signs of charring and few injuries were caused by fire. Fatalities From Flight 1713 November 18, 1987 DENVER (AP) _ Here are the people who died as a result of the crash of Continental Flight 1713, based on [1], During the investigation, the crew's low levels of experience on the DC-9 were brought up as possible causes. I want to tell you, a lot of things pass before your eyes when something like that happens, said Helpenstell. [1] The remaining 52 passengers and two flight attendants survived. 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. Thanksgiving seemed an awfully good thing to think about.. 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. Alligator removed from South Carolina resident's garage. 1 Adult. "It's terribly frustrating that it takes so long to get anything accomplished," Daniel said. [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]. He suffered hypothermia, despite rescuers attempts to warm trapped passengers with auxiliary power units. Dr. Ron Semlow of Troy, Mich., said he looked out the window and saw the other plane somersault. 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. 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. The pounding he took in the Continental Airlines crash in Denver two years ago today has erased a full month from his consciousness. [3] The first officer was 26-year-old Lee Edward Bruecher, hired by Continental four months earlier; he had previously flown for Rio Airways[3] and passed his initial proficiency check in the DC-9 in mid-September. I came very close to hypothermia and I did my best to keep calm by using self-hypnosis.''. Both airport officials and survivors, including Helpenstell, said the twin-engine DC-9 appeared to accelerate down Runway 35-Left and lift off normally. ''I was hanging upside down in my seat. From a layman's perspective, it seems to be very inefficient.". Survivors of the crash said that, in the moments after the plane careened to a halt, many were able to free themselves from their seat belts and squirm through the shattered fuselage onto the snowy grass between two runways. The board stressed that it was still too early to speculate on what caused the accident. Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is Copyright 2009-2022, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. The plane crashed during takeoff Sunday, killing 26 people and injuring 56. Twenty-eight of the 82 people aboard died. That ''de-icing pad'' consists of a remotely operated setup of hoses mounted on booms that spray antifreeze on a jet, similar to what is done at a car wash. [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. 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. [10] However, the NTSB investigated the wake-turbulence theory and concluded that wake turbulence from the preceding flight would not have affected Flight 1713. "As time passed, I became more confident that we were going to be all right . . Flight 1713 crashed shortly after Denver`s first blizzard of the fall. Continental said a memorial service for the victims was planned this afternoon at Denver University. 'In my dreams, I run up to the cockpit to try to control the airplane. "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. Of the 27 still hospitalized, six were listed in critical condition. A U.S. District Court jury deliberated three days before awarding $779,000 to Karen Johnson of Boise, Idaho, plus $21,700 for her husband, Bob Officials from the N.T.S.B., the Federal Aviation Administration and the Aviation Safety Institute in Worthington, Ohio, said they never have studied the role of seat selection. The pilot, 43-year-old Frank Zvonek, was killed, as was First Officer Lee Bruecher, 26. The toll rose to 28 late Tuesday with the death of James Marria, 38, of Boise, at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. . the Nampa, Idaho, surgeon said today as he recovered from his remarkably minor injuries: hypothermia and a broken finger. 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. 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. Fifty-four people survived. Vermeulen, 24, was an off-duty Continental flight attendant at the time, on his way home to Boise, Idaho, to be with his parents for Thanksgiving. "There was discomfort, but no hysteria," among the passengers as they hung upside down in their seat belts awaiting rescue, he recalled. The captain, the first officer, one flight attendant and 11 of the passengers died from blunt trauma. I play the same scenario all the time. ''I could smell the stink of kerosene and I couldn`t stop thinking about how a spark could set the thing off like a bomb. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! The left wing exploded in a ball of fire. A lot are about just any plane crash. But many other passengers had to wait until rescue crews with heavy tools could cut them loose. Paschkov trembled as she recalled how she and another passenger lifted Melissa up through a tiny hole in a pile of seats inside the wreckage. [1], At 14:05, Flight 1713 was lined up on the number-one position at the north end of Runway 35L and the crew was ready for take off. Here is a partial list of fatalities in the crash Sunday of Continental Flight 1713 in Denver: Capt. [1] Investigators also concluded that enough wet snow landed on Flight 1713 after deicing was complete to melt and dilute the deicing fluid, which allowed ice to reform on the wings. So, there is a reason I'm here. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? WebThe aircraft then descended until it hit the sea about two miles south of the airport. I can see the pilot and I want to take control. The flight, which left in a blinding snowstorm, was en route to Boise with 77 passengers and a crew of five. I never passed out. Survivors who talked about the crash and its aftermath described a few seconds of sheer horror, followed by a few moments of elation when they realized that they were alive and hours of waiting for rescue workers to cut them from the crumbled fuselage. There were no survivors among the 97 passengers and five crew members on board. "I don't have the grimness of the crash in my mind," the Nampa college administrator said, grateful for that small consolation. Travelers. Sometimes survivors feel guilty that they were not able to do anything to help other people in the situation, he said. [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. A fuel-fed flash fire ignited in the left wing shortly after it struck the ground, causing a "fireball" inside the cabin. The crash was the subject of episode 10, season 18 of Mayday, titled "Dead of Winter". But if you ask me if I would have rather died, I would say no.". . He said McDonnell Douglas Corp., maker of the planes, has issued warnings that these planes are more prone to ice buildup because they lack slats that were installed in later models to prevent that problem. . Two other survivors, Robert Linck, 60, of Green Pond, N. J., and Laura Hobbs, 20, of Eagle, Ida., also told dramatic stories on Monday. Vermeulen was the only person in the front section of the DC-9 to survive. 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. , I talked with people who said that people next to them, even though they were pinned in, helped them with their free arm to get out. [14] [15] Investigators likewise determined that First Officer Bruecher was at the controls at the time of the accident. "After a few minutes of euphoria, I thought, 'We're going to burn now,' " Helpenstell recalled. It happened so slowly that I had the time to think it three times, said Dr. Fred Helpenstell, a 56-year-old orthopedic surgeon from Nampa, Ida. 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. Comstock said the case was the biggest of his career and the most frustrating. The last survivor was removed from the wreckage four hours after the crash. Burnett said that while rather atrocious at the time, that does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that weather caused it.. Everyone tried to find the exit door and they couldnt. Vermeulen still is undergoing psychiatric care because of the feelings he has about the crash. "I'd say there was more frustration than gratification, watching what delays will do to people.". Max Richter, 45, Boise. Shaken survivors recounted the last terrible moments of Flight 1713 on Monday as federal investigators began trying to find out why the Continental jetliner Watson recently joined the majority of survivors in accepting a settlement offer from the airline's insurance carrier. "So I moved everybody from the front of the plane to the back of the plane. Shaken survivors recounted the last terrible moments of Flight 1713 on Monday as federal investigators began trying to find out why the Continental jetliner crashed during a snowy takeoff from Denvers Stapleton International Airport. The plane flipped on its left side and rolled over, breaking in the middle and at least one other place. Adding to speculation about icing being at fault in the crash was the acknowledgment by Continental officials on Monday that the airline used a new system designed especially to speed up the de-icing operation at Stapleton. The plane crashed during takeoff Sunday, killing 26 people and injuring 56. But like investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board he suspects that the DC-9 jet may have had a fatal buildup of ice on its wings while awaiting takeoff Sunday. An F.A.A. [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. Two of the 54 survivors were Tom and Jennifer Allegrezza. (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. It is not in use anywhere else. A few terrible moments later, the mangled remains of the plane came to rest in the snow. ", Watson opted to settle his claims rather than go through "a public court session," and he concludes he was "reasonably satisfied with the process.". In the crash I was involved in, I went in and started helping people. One flight attendant, Diana Mechling, 33, died in the crash; two other flight attendants survived. Example video title will go here for this video. He returned to a new job at the college in January: assistant to the president. "I feel guilty because people died. Robert Benzon, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, said the board is studying several factors, including seating, to explain why some passengers died and others escaped with minor injuries. '', He distributed a report from the FAA that said setting a 20-minute limit, ''is not considered in the best interest of flight safety,'' because it might encourage flight crews to always wait 20 minutes for an inspection after de-icing when sometimes ''ice may form in a much shorter period.''. The survivors included Vicky Prasad of Gaithersburg, Md., who 'I still have continuous nightmares,' Vermeulen says. 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. As he emerged into the arms of a fireman, he began to realize how fortunate he was. The takeoff was delayed about two hours because of the heavy snow driven by a 20-mph wind. They began to pray, to cry with pain. [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. The NTSB said it is still too early to tell whether there was any major system malfunction. He said she was rescued first and he never learned her name. 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. . ''I was somewhat apprehensive and, as the takeoff roll started, I fastened my seat belt as tight as I could.''. 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. Nine months after the crash of Flight 1713, Delta Air Lines Flight 1141 crashed in Dallas. . Continental Airlines Flight 1713 was a commercial airline flight which crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Flexible dates. The seats that we originally had where the plane split apart from the middle front, we would have been dead. ''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. As they were crawling out, passengers unbuckled the seat belts to help those who couldnt do it themselves. Both pilots and 26 others on the plane were killed. Everyone was afraid of a fire, she said. Douglas Self, 29, Kennewick, Wash., fair. ''All I know is that the middle took it the worst,'' Mr. Benzon said. Paschkov said her seat and others became unbolted so that when the plane came to a stop upside down she was seated right side up while her daughter was hanging upside down. --Human error. Helpenstell, who was returning from his fathers funeral, was wedged into a fetal position for what seemed like an eternity in temperatures that plunged below freezing. [1], Continental Airlines Flight 1713 was scheduled to depart Denver at 12:25, but many flights out of Denver that day were delayed by the inclement weather. U.S. District Judge Sherman Finesilver held that all but a few more recently filed cases were bound by Johnson's "exemplar" judgment, and thus could not seek punitive damages.