lornajarrettblanchard

–302 CDC Wonder. (Average hypothermia death rate was 0.13 per 100,000 population. )

Death rate for hypothermia per 100,000 population, where noted.

Georgia 14 0.26
Illinois 18 0.16
Kentucky 12 0.33
Michigan 19 0.20 Highest loss of life of any State.
Montana 8 1.02 Highest loss of life per 100,000 population of any State.
New York 12 0.07
Ohio 13 0.30
Pennsylvania 12 0.08
Texas 13 0.28
Wisconsin 15 0.32

Source

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1979-1998. CDC WONDER On-line Database, compiled from Compressed Mortality File CMF 1968-1988, Series 20, No. 2A, 2000 and CMF 1989-1998, Series 20, No. 2E, 2003. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd9.html on Sep 16, 2021 5:53:11 PM

–1 CDC Wonder. Compressed Mortality File 1979-1998. ICD-8 code 032 (Diphtheria), 1980.

Narrative Information

Diphtheria, CDC: “Diphtheria is a serious disease caused by a toxin (poison) made by bacteria. It causes a thick coating in the back of the nose or throat that makes it hard to breathe or swallow. It can be deadly. The DTaP vaccine protects against diphtheria….Diphtheria starts like a cold, with sore throat, mild fever (101 degrees or less), and chills. Next, the diphtheria toxin makes a thick coating on the back of the nose or throat. It may be blue or grayish green. The coating makes it hard to breathe or swallow… The coating on the throat can get so thick that it blocks the airway, so the person can’t breathe.

“The diphtheria toxin can attack the heart, causing abnormal heart rhythms and even heart failure. It can also attack the nerves, which leads to paralysis (unable to move parts of the body).
About 1 out of 10 people who get diphtheria dies. In children younger than 5 years, as many as 1 out of 5 children who get diphtheria dies.

“How does diphtheria spread? Diphtheria spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person can spread the disease for up to 2 weeks after infection.

“What is the DTaP vaccine? The DTaP vaccine is a shot that combines the vaccines for diphtheria and two other serious diseases: tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis). The vaccine helps the body to build up protection against the diphtheria toxin. Most children (about 97 children out of 100) who get all doses of the vaccine will be protected against diphtheria….”

Guilfoile: “Origin of the Term ‘Diphtheria.’ The French physician Pierre Bretonneau performed autopsies on many people who had died of what we now call diphtheria. He noted that a common feature of these victims was that they all had a growth, called a pseudomembrane, in their upper respiratory tract. In 1826, he first used the term ‘diphtherite,’ after the Greek word meaning ‘leather or hide,’ based on the leather-like appearance of the pseudomembrane. The term was subsequently modified to ‘diphtheria’ in the 1850s.” (p. 11)

“In contrast with nasal diphtheria, respiratory diphtheria is a very serious disease. Prior to the development of effective medical treatments, about half the people who developed symptoms of respiratory diphtheria died. In children who have diphtheria, the bacteria grow primarily in the upper and lower throat.” (p. 14.)

Staples: “The history of diphtheria is not confined to modern times. According to Dr. Greenhow, of London, whose excellent monograph on this disease appeared in 1861, diphtheria prevailed in Spain, Italy, Sicily and other European countries, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. It visited England, France, Italy, Sweden, Holland, Germany, and North America, about the middle of the last century. Oertel writes in Ziemssen’s Cyclopedia: ‘Diphtheria is one of the oldest epidemic diseases of the human race. Even Homer and Hippocrates advanced views from which Bretonneau first sought to prove that the disease was known in those times under the name ‘Malum Ægyptiacum,’ as a disease greatly to be feared.’ According to the same author, Aretaeus, writing at the close of the first and the beginning of the second century after Christ, accurately describes the Malum Ægyptiacum, specially emphasizing the fact that in the disease the tonsils are covered with a certain dense white ‘humore’ which spreads over the tongue and gums. Writers in the later centuries give the disease under various names, and evidently confounded it with other malignant affections of the throat; yet the description of the character and situation of the local disease given by the older writers – the white, ashy and putrid exudation, in fatal cases so loathsome that even the patients themselves can not endure it; the disease often extending to the air tubes and causing death by suffocation; the class of persons most liable to the disease, children who have not yet reached the age of puberty; its uncertain attack and advance – all this affords abundant evidence that the disease of the ancients was identical with the diphtheria of our own time..

“The name diphtheria was first given by Bretonneau, of Tours, France, in 1821. This distinguished Frenchman first made accurate investigations into the nature of the disease, and, because of its essential characteristic, the exudation, he gave it the name, in French, diphtherite, from the Greek diphtheria, a pellicle.

“The investigations and views of Bretonneau were first published in the form of two treatises presented to the French Academy of Medicine. He at first insisted that diphtheria must be considered as wholly a local disease . He was obliged at a later period to concede that a blood poisoning is one of its essential characteristics – (Oertel.).

“In 1820, Dr. Thomas Brown presented a paper on diphtheria to the Glasgow Medical Society, and in 1825, Dr. McKenzie published two papers in the Edinburgh Medical and Surgical Journal, in which views were expressed similar to what Bretonneau published the year following. It is true, however, that the medical profession at large, at this time and for many years afterward, had little knowledge and less practical interest in the disease, whose existence and character was known only in a few scientific essays.

“Almost all knowledge of the Malum Ægyptiacum of Aretaeus of the first century, of the Garrotillo or Morbus Suffocans of Villa Real, Foutecha and Herrera of Spain, in the seventeenth century, the sore throat described by Chomel of France, and by Fothergil, Starr and Huxham of England, and by Samuel Bard in North America, in the middle of the eighteenth century, and even the diphtherite of M. Bretonneau, early in the present century, had passed from the memory of man, and the world for several generations had known little of diphtheria, when the great outbreak of the disease occurred at Boulogne in 1855. In this beginning of epidemic diphtheria of our own time, according to Dr. Greenhow, there were in Boulogne in the months of January, February and March, 366 deaths; 341 of which were of children under ten years of age. During the year, the disease appeared in various parts of France.

“The epidemic first appeared in England in the early autumn of 1856. The first cases were in the town of Spaulding, in Lincolnshire. In 1857 the disease was in London. Concerning the method of the progress of the epidemic, Dr. Greenhow remarks: ‘It is at least an important point in the history of the epidemic, to have ascertained that it began, to all appearances, spontaneously in several centers, sufficiently remote from one another to prove their complete independence. Another feature noticeable in the spread of the epidemic n London, as well as in other parts of England and on the continent, that has peculiar interest is, that the epidemic influence often produced its effect in various ways short of causing the complete and malignant forms of the disease. There was for some months previous to the introduction of what was regarded as true diphtheria, a peculiar sore throat prevalent, unattended either by ulceration or exudation, and scarlet fever prevailing about that time had unusual features as regards the character of the throat disease; there was an unusual depression of the vital powers. An epidemic of catarrhal fever prevailed in the autumn of the same year, almost exclusively limited to children; and this also was attended and followed by an unusual amount of depression….

“In closing this outline sketch of the history of diphtheria, I desire to quote briefly from a lecture by Dr. Alonzo Clark in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, published in 1861, giving the opinion of the author concerning the future of the disease. Dr. Clark says: “I must now add that diphtheria, though an epidemic affection, is not, like cholera or yellow fever, a disease of a single season, at least so far as relates to a state or country. It often has a limited duration in villages and among a scattered population, but in large towns, and in the country at large, there is much reason to apprehend that, once established, it will continue for years.” (Staples)

University of IL at Chicago: “Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease caused by a bacillus (Corynebacterium diphtheriae). The disease is spread from person to person by coughing, breathing, direct contact, or through contaminated food. Upon infection, the ailment normally breaks out after a brief incubation period of two to four days. Symptoms of the illness include a sore throat, fever, hoarseness, swollen neck glands causing a “bull-neck” appearance, and difficulty in swallowing and breathing. A grayish membrane often forms in the throat and, if it continues to grow, can interfere with swallowing. If it extends to the windpipe, it can block air and cause suffocation.

“If untreated, the diphtheria bacteria produces a powerful poison, or toxin, that spreads throughout the body and can cause pneumonia, paralysis and heart failure. Treatment consists of immediate administration of diphtheria antitoxin and antibiotics. Antibiotic treatment usually renders the patient non-infectious within 24 hours. Even with treatment, however, the disease can be fatal, killing 5 percent to 10 percent of diphtheria patients. Untreated, the disease claims even more lives — 25 percent to 50 percent. Untreated patients are infectious for two to three weeks. Unless, immunized, children and adults may repeatedly be infected with the disease.

“Diphtheria is undoubtedly an old malady. In historical accounts, however, it is very difficult to separate the disease from other throat conditions, such as scarlet fever, which also had serious consequences. One of the earliest accounts of diphtheria is found in the Hippocratic work Epidemics III, which was written 2,500 years ago. Another early description of the disease was recorded about 1,900 years ago by Arateus of Cappadocia, a Greek physician, who practiced medicine in Rome. Arateus called the ailment ulcers of the tonsils. He observed that if the ulcers spread to the windpipe it resulted in suffocation. Arateus accurately observed, ‘the manner of death is most piteous; pain sharp and hot as from a carbuncle; respiration bad, for their breath smells strongly of putrefaction, as they inhale the same again into their chest; fever acute, thirst as if from fire, and yet they do not desire drink for fear of the pain it would occasion…’ During the Middle Ages, there was little written about the disease.

“The first recorded epidemic of diphtheria in America occurred in colonial New England in 1735. It lasted almost five years and caused the deaths of 5,000 persons, or 2.5 percent of the total population. In towns across western Massachusetts and New Hampshire many families lost all their children to this terrible sickness….

“Although diphtheria was primarily a disease of children, adults also suffered and died from it.
The most famous adult of the 18th century to die from diphtheria was George Washington. The
former president died at his Mount Vernon home in 1799 from asphyxia from a severely swollen
throat caused by the ailment….

“Between 1850 and 1860, for the first time in recorded history, there was a severe worldwide
epidemic, or pandemic, of diphtheria….

“Much of the confusion over the cause of the disease occurred because no one at the time [up to 1880s] recognized the existence of healthy diphtheria carriers, individuals who are apparently well but harbor the diphtheria bacillus in their nose and throat. These diphtheria carriers were a major source of the illness, accounting for as much as 75 percent of the cases of the disease.”

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Wonder On-line Database. Compressed Mortality File 1979-1998 (2000). ICD-8 code 032 (Diphtheria), 1980. Accessed 6-14-2023 at: https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/datarequest/D16;jsessionid=AF6615CDF2DBC4618CDEA2474885

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccines and Immunizations. “Diphtheria – Fact Sheet for Parents.” 7-8-2013 update. Accessed 8-27-2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/diphtheria/fs-parents.html

Guilfoile, Patrick G. Diphtheria (Deadly Diseases and Epidemics series). NY: Chelsea House, an imprint of Infobase Publishing, 2009. Google digital preview at: http://books.google.com/books?id=tzVqM-JUnW8C&dq=diphtheria&source=gbs_navlinks_s

New Jersey Board of Health. Thirty-First Annual Report of the Board of Health of the State of New Jersey, 1907, and Annual Report of the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Trenton: John L. Murphy Publishing Co., 1908. Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=XDAcX3uIVssC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

New York State Department of Health. Thirty-Eighth Annual Report of the State Department of Health of New York For the Year Ending December 31, 1917 (Vol. 1). Albany: J. B. Lyon Co., 1918. Google preview accessed 6-3-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=XE49AQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Staples, Franklin, M.D. “Report on Diphtheria,” pp. 27-29 in Minnesota State Board of Health. Seventh Annual Report of the State Board of Health of Minnesota, January, 1879. Minneapolis: Johnson, Smith & Harrison, 1879. Google digitized at:
http://books.google.com/books?id=10VNAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

United States Census Bureau. Historical National Population Estimates: July 1, 1900 to July 1, 1999. Internet release date: 4-11-2000. Accessed 10-29-2013 at:
http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/popclockest.txt

United States Census Office. Vital Statistics Vol. IV, Part II, Statistics of Deaths. Twelfth Census of the United States, Taken in the Year 1900. Washington, DC: 1902. Accessed 6-9-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsushistorical/vsush_1900_4.pdf

University of Illinois at Chicago. “4. Diphtheria,” pp. 49-60.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ALEJFHVbhcoJ:www.uic.edu/sph/prepare/courses/ph500/resources/diphtheria.pdf+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

— 11  Bell, James R. “Eleven Die in Jail Fire.” Fire Journal, July 1980, pp. 23-25, and 90.

— 11  NFPA. “Recent Multi-Fatality Fires,” US Congress, House. Boarding Home Fires, 71-73.

— 11  National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac. 1983, p. 137.

— 10  Aiken Standard, SC. “Fatal Lancaster Jail Fire Came Two Weeks too…” 12-28-1979, p. 1.

 

Narrative Information

 

Bell: “During the early evening hours of December 17 [27], 1979, a fire in the Lancaster County Jail in the city of Lancaster, South Carolina, resulted in the deaths of 11 inmates and injuries to seven other persons. The fire originated in materials stored in a cellblock walk-around area. Although the fire was confined to the cellblock of origin, heavy smoke and heat spread throughout the jail, hindering rescue attempts.

 

“The fatalities in this fire can be attributed to the following factors:

 

• The storage of combustible materials without enclosure in proximity to occupied cells, which provided fuel for a rapidly developing fire;
• A lack of means to prevent the prompt and effective release of inmates from the locked areas;
• The presence of a single jailer, without additional monitoring or detection capability to continuously guarantee supervision of cell areas;
• Failure to extinguish the fire in its incipient stage;
• The lack of other fire protection features to provide defend-in-place protection for the jail area….”

 

(Bell, James R. “Eleven Die in Jail Fire.” Fire Journal, July 1980, pp. 23-25, and 90.)

 

Dec 28: “Lancaster (AP) – Ten inmates died when a fire sent smoke billowing through a 156-year-old jail described by a law enforcement official as ‘a fortress.’  Only three prisoners housed on the second floor of the Lancaster County jail, a…two-story masonry structure built in 1823, survived the fire Thursday night.  Officials said the county was scheduled to move the jail and offices of the sheriff’s department in two weeks to a new building on the outskirts of Lancaster.  Two inmates and a fireman remained hospitalized this morning for smoke inhalation, according to a spokeswoman at Elliott White Springs Memorial Hospital…

 

“Capt. J. Leon Gasque, assistant director of the State Law Enforcement Division, said investigators had not determined how the fire started… He said a SLED arson unit is investigating the fire, which broke out at 6:15 p.m. on the second floor.  Gasque said the jail was quickly engulfed in smoke, but a jailer succeeded in rescuing two inmates.  The cause of death was undetermined ‘but it looks like smoke inhalation,’ he said.  ‘This building was fixing to be done away with,’ Gasque added.  He said it was ‘one of the old Mills-designed jails, and it’s lie a fortress.’  The jail was one of a number of South Carolina buildings designed by Robert Mills, a Charleston architect who designed the Washington Monument and other noted structures….

 

“The fire was brought under control about 7:30…. SLED spokesman Hugh Munn said the jailer…and a highway patrolman…were on the same floor with the 13 inmates when the fire broke out.  The two officers and a trusty…who was downstairs, smelled smoke and ran to open the jail doors.  Munn said Cole had the keys and succeeded in opening one of two doors to the cellblock.  But he was unable to open the other door, which may have been blocked by the body of an unconscious inmate… While Cole was trying to unlock the second door he heard the men inside calling for help…The heavy smoke forced Cole and the officers to retreat.  The highway patrolman had already telephoned the fire department and firemen wearing gas masks retrieved the bodies a short time later.”  (Aiken Standard. “Fatal Lancaster Jail Fire…” Dec 28, 1979, p. 1.

 

Sources

 

Aiken Standard, SC. “Fatal Lancaster Jail Fire Came Two Weeks Too Soon” 12-28-1979, p. 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=106608225

 

Bell, James R. “Eleven Die in Jail Fire.” Fire Journal, July 1980, pp. 23-25, and 90.

 

National Fire Protection Association. “Recent Multi-Fatality Fires.”  In:  U.S. Congress, House.  Boarding Home Fires: New Jersey (Hearing, March 9, 1981), pp. 71-73.

 

National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1983.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

–10 AK Bur. Ocean Energy Mgmt., Reg., Enforce. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.
–10 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1976-2000.”
–10 Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (S).
–10 Brandon Sun, Canada. “Loner’s makeup factor in fate of nine lost at sea.” 12-11-1979, p16.
–10 Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Canadians Die of Exposure, Autopsy Shows.” 12-12-1979, p. 5.
–10 Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Two More Bodies Off Boat Found.” 12-17-1979, p. 3, col. 6.
–10 Medicine Hat News, Alberta, Canada. “Search continues for lost seamen.” 12-10-1979, p.8.

Narrative Information

Alaska Bureau Ocean Energy Management: “Dec 5, 1979…Canadian fishing vessel… Salinta…Went aground and broke in half…Tree Point, 46 mi NW of Prince Rupert, BC…10 lost (all hands).” (Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses.)

Alaskashipwreck.com: “1979…Salinta…SE [southeast area]…33 Foot…Gillnetter…10 [lives lost].” (Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1976-2000.”

Alaskashipwreck.com: “Salinta (1979). Three adults and seven children were lost from the 33 foot Canadian gillnet fishing vessel Salinta which was found washed ashore at Tree Point December 5, 1979. The small old Canadian fishing vessel had departed Prince Rupert December 2nd on a day trip to Portland Inlet. The heavily damaged vessel washed ashore 46 miles northwest of Prince Rupert. There were no survivors. Lost were Roy Mostad (44), his three children Tommy (13), Robert (9), and Tina (9), Judy Stevens (30) and her three children Lyle (7), Nadine (6), and Roselle (4), and Wendy Stevens (27) and her daughter Angie (4).

“Mapping and Location: Southeast Alaska 54 48 15 N 130 55 45 W Chart 17420.

“Sources: 1. BOEM Alaska Shipwreck List (2011), 2. The Seattle Times (December 11, 1979) “Hope lingers for 7 on boat” Pg F 8, 3. The Seattle Times (December 12, 1979) “Exposure caused death of 2 on gillnetter” Pg E 12.”

Dec 10: “Prince Rupert, B.C. (CP) – Ten persons are feared dead after a Canadian Forces helicopter crew found a missing 10-metre fishboat Sunday washed ashore at Tree Point on the rugged Alaskan coast, about 75 kilometres north of here. RCMP and coast guard spokesman said he crew found three bodies on board the heavily-damaged gillnetter Salinta, reported missing Friday. Seven of those aboard were children, aged three to 14. Names of those found were not released.

“The fate of the seven others was unknown, but a Search and Rescue spokesman at Victoria said the search was to resume at daybreak today using Canadian and United States coast guard vessels, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from Canadian Forces Base Comox.

“Officials earlier identified those aboard as vessel owner Roy Mostad, 44, his three children, Judy Stevens, 30, and her sister, Wendy Stevens, in their 20s, and their four children. All are from Prince Rupert.

“Capt. Ray Windsor of the Search and Rescue coordination centre at Victoria said in a telephone interview that a 2.5 metre aluminum skiff belonging to the Salinta was unaccounted for. It was not known if the skiff was with the fishboat when it sailed from Prince Rupert.

“The Salinta left this northwest B.C. coast port Dec. 2 for a 7½-hour trip to a small Indian reserve at Kincolith on Portland Inlet, 100 kilometres northwest of Prince Rupert.

“RCMP said the boat was not reported missing until Friday because relatives, not expecting the people to return to Prince Rupert until Tuesday [Dec 4], assumed they had arrived at Kincolith and had decided to stay longer.” (The Medicine Hat News, Alberta, Canada. “Search continues for lost seamen.” 12-10-1979, p. 8.)

Dec 11: “Prince Rupert, B.C. (CP)….[Roy] Mostad’s body and those of two other unidentified people was found Sunday aboard Mostad’s badly damaged 10-metre fishboat which was washed ashore at Tree Point…A fourth body was found Monday near the boat and an intensive air-sea search is continuing for the six other people who were aboard when the fishboat went missing on a trip to an Indian reserve at Kincolith inlet last week. RCMP have identified only Mostad. A juvenile female and a juvenile male were found on the boat. No details were given on the fourth. All the bodies were taken to Ketchikan, Alaska, where preliminary reports indicated death by drowning.

“The Salinta sailed Dec. 2 carrying Mostad, 44, and his three children, Tommy, 13, Robert, 9 and Tina, 9; Judy Stevens, 30, and her children, Lyle, 7, Nadine, 6, and Roselle, 4, and Judy Stevens’ sister, Wendy, 27, and her four-year-old daughter Angie. All are from Prince Rupert.

“Al Marshall revealed on Monday that a brief distress signal was received by Canadian and United States Coast Guards last Wednesday [Dec 5], two days before the search for the Salinta began. Marshall said the word ‘mayday’ was heard but neither the boat’s name nor its location were given.” (Brandon Sun, Canada. “Loner’s makeup factor in fate of nine lost at sea.” 12-11-1979, p. 16.)

Dec 12: “Prince Rupert, British Columbia (AP) – Exposure combined with hypothermia apparently caused the death of Roy Mostad, 44, and an unidentified boy found Sunday aboard the ill-fated gillnetter Salinta, says the acting coroner in Ketchikan, Alaska. Judge Henry Keene said Tuesday that samples taken from an autopsy Monday will be sent to a laboratory for confirmation.

“….Alaska state troopers say it is unlikely any other bodies will surface from the cold water off the Alaskan coast.

“Keene said he is unsure of the time of death of the two bodies on which autopsies were performed. He said extremely cold water acts as a preservative and the victims could have been dead one day or possibly one week….” (Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Canadians Die of Exposure, Autopsy Shows.” 12-12-1979, p. 5.)

Dec 17: “Prince Rupert, British Columbia (AP) – Royal Canadian Mounted Police divers have found two more bodies and will continue heir search for four others still missing from a fishing boat wrecked with 10 persons aboard. An RCMP spokesman said…the two bodies found Friday are believed to be those of children. Fisherman Roy Mostad, 44, and nine other persons…left Prince Rupert on Dec 2 for a 7 1/2-hour trip to visit relatives at an Indian reserve at Kincolith on Portland Inlet. His body, those of Wendy Stevens, 20, and her sister, Judy, and three children now have been found.” (Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Two More Bodies Off Boat Found.” 12-17-1979, p. 3, col. 6.)

Sources

Alaska Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Alaska’s Worst All Time Shipping Losses. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://www.boem.gov/about-boem/alaskas-worst-all-time-shipping-losses

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks 1976-2000.” Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/alaska-shipwrecks-1729-2012/alaska-shipwrecks-1971-1990/

Alaskashipwreck.com. Alaska Shipwrecks. “Alaska Shipwrecks A–Z.” (S). Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://alaskashipwreck.com/shipwrecks-a-z/alaska-shipwrecks-s/

Brandon Sun, Canada. “Loner’s makeup factor in fate of nine lost at sea.” 12-11-1979, p. 16. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/brandon-sun-dec-11-1979-p-16/

Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Canadians Die of Exposure, Autopsy Shows.” 12-12-1979, p. 5. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-sitka-sentinel-dec-12-1979-p-5/

Daily Sitka Sentinel, AK. “Two More Bodies Off Boat Found.” 12-17-1979, p. 3, col. 6. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-sitka-sentinel-dec-17-1979-p-3/

Medicine Hat News, Alberta, Canada. “Search continues for lost seamen.” 12-10-1979, p. 8, c.6. Accessed 11-30-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/medicine-hat-news-dec-10-1979-p-8/

–11  Chertkoff and Kushigian. Don’t Panic: The Psychology of Emergency Egress. 1999, p. 83.

–11  Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria OH. “11 dead, 20 injured in Cincy concert crush.” 12-4-1979.

–11  Nager. “Concert Industry Learned from Who Tragedy…” Cincinnati Enquirer, 12-3-1999.

 

Narrative Information

 

Chertkoff and Kushigian: “Riverfront Coliseum (now called the Crown Coliseum) in Cincinnati, Ohio, opened in September 1975. It is a multi-use indoor arena with over 100 entrance doors placed at various locations around the building.

 

“On the evening of December 3, 1979, the popular British rock band The Who was performing at Riverfront Coliseum. Tickets had gone on sale on September 28, and in just an hour and a half, the concert was sold out. A total of 3,578 tickets were for reserved seats. The remainder of the 18,348 tickets were for festival seating, meaning that a ticket merely entitled the ticket holder to entrance into the building, with seating or standing room in front of the stage determined on a first-come, first- served basis. Consequently, people began to arrive early in the afternoon, long before the doors opened for the 8:00 P.M. performance.

 

“Concern about the use of festival seating at Riverfront Coliseum had been raised several times in the past. A Public Safety Study Team, foamed in response to crowd control problems at an Elton John concert in August 1976, reported that the manage­ment of Riverfront Coliseum, on its own, was reducing the use of festival seating, and that, therefore, such reductions should be left up to the management. In September 1977, Donald J. Mooney, Jr., of the Cincinnati Human Relations Committee proposed an end to festival seating: “All future concerts should be sold on a reserved seat basis. Reserved seats would discourage the arrival of thousands of fans hours before the concert is scheduled to begin, and before the doors are open. Such congregations, and the resulting drinking and drug abuse, have been the primary causes of disturbances on the plaza level near the coliseum” (`76 Study Recommended Coliseum Reduce “Festival Seating,” 1979, p. A-1). The Cincinnati fire division also had raised objections to festival seating, noting that overcrowding and the blockage of aisles tended to occur with festival seating. However, Safety Director Richard Castelleni maintained in a letter to a private citizen that crowd control problems at Riverfront Coliseum were, and should be, the responsibility of management, not the city: “enforcement of codes and ordinances would and could be handled by coliseum personnel, as enforcement was above and beyond the capabilities of the limited manpower of the fire division and exceeds the service to which a privately owned facility is entitled” (Delaney & Greenfield, 1979, p. B-1).

 

“By 7:00 P.M., thousands were tightly packed around the entrance doors…creating a dangerous situation…. One person stated afterward that the crush was so great he could not lift his arm in order to scratch his head….” (Chapter 7: The Who Concert Stampede, December 3, 1979,” from pp. 79-80, of 79-84.)

 

Nager: “…11 people were killed outside… [Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati] building in the crush before a concert by the Who. It remains the deadliest concert disaster in American history.”  (Nager, 1999)

 

Newspaper

 

Dec 4: “Officials today blamed ‘festival (unreserved) seating’ for creating a crush at the doors of Monday night’s ‘The Who’ rock concert in which 11 people were trampled to death. ‘We can make an assumption that one of the major problems was festival seating,’ said Mayor J. Kenneth Blackwell. ‘There was a demand for good seats.’

 

“Half of the sold-out crowd of 18,000 held tickets for unreserved seating at Riverfront Coliseum. The other half had reserved seats.[1]  “This will probably lead to a campaign to end festival seating at future concerts,” said Cincinnati Safety Director Richard Castellini.

 

“The 11 young people were trampled to death, and another 20 injured, immediately after the first two doors were opened to an initial throng of 7,000 youngsters who had been waiting several hours in the near-freezing weather.  Some were drinking beer or whiskey.  Others were smoking marijuana.

 

“Witnesses said the doors simply could not accommodate the crush of excited fans rushing for good seats to see the popular rock group on national tour. “The crowd was just pushing and pushing and pushing,” said Buford Meir, 18, of Miamisburg, Ohio. “It was horrible.”  Candice Momper, 21, of Covington, Ky., said when she got to the doors, “I couldn’t believe what was happening up there.”  “There were people piled up. Off their feet. On the ground. At least 20 of them.  Some were unconscious. The crowd couldn’t see people were piled up till they got up there. Then the crowd from behind just kept pushing so much that people kept walking over them.”

 

“The crowd was so thick it took police 15 minutes to reach the dead and pull out the injured. Some in the throng who escaped physical injury were emotionally shaken.  “I thought I was dead,” said Jim Holstrom, 28, of Cincinnati, who was standing near the front of the crowd with his brother, Dave, 22

“I can’t stop shaking I think my brother is dead. He was next to me and went down in the rush. I don’t know how I got out.  Somebody was on top of me I couldn’t breathe.”

 

“When two banks of doors in a 100-foot-wide area opened at about 7:30 p.m., the thousands of fans outside tried to push in all at once, police said. The press of the crowd shattered the glass doors and forced down scores of the concertgoers….

 

“Police officer Dave Grawe said the crowd “jammed the people up so tightly in front that they just passed out. They didn’t even fall down. They must have jammed up so tight that they didn’t get any air and just died.”  (Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria Ohio, December 4, 1979)

 

Sources

 

Chertkoff, Jerome M. and Russell H. Kushigian. Don’t Panic: The Psychology of Emergency Egress. Praeger, 1999.

 

Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria OH. “11 dead, 20 injured in Cincy concert crush.” 12-4-1979, p. 1. Accessed 7-17-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/elyria-chronicle-telegram-dec-04-1979-p-1/?tag

 

Nager, Larry. “Concert Industry Learned from Who Tragedy – Safety Taken More Seriously After 11 Died in 1979.” Cincinnati Enquirer, 12-3-1999. Accessed 7-17-2017 at: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1999/12/03/loc_concert_industry.html

 

 

 

[1] Chertkoff and Kushigian, however, write: A total of 3,758 tickets were for reserved seats. The remainder of the 18,348 tickets were for festival seating.”

–24  Erebus.co.nz. The Erebus Story. “Roll of Remembrance.”

–21  AP. “Navigation error…in Antarctic crash.” Lawrence Journal-World, KS, 11-29-1979, 2.

 

Narrative Information

 

Christchurch City Libraries: “On 28 November 1979, Air New Zealand Flight TE901 crashed into the slopes of Mt Erebus in Antarctica while on a sightseeing flight to the continent. All the 237 passengers and 20 crew on board were killed. The crash remains the worst civilian disaster in New Zealand’s history….

 

“Captain Jim Collins and his co-pilot Greg Cassin had not flown the Antarctic flight before, but the flight was considered to be straightforward and they both were experienced pilots…. On the morning of 28 November Collins and Cassin entered the series of latitude and longitude co-ordinates into the aircraft computer.[1] However, they did not know that two of the co-ordinates had been changed earlier that morning. When these incorrect co-ordinates were entered into the computer, they changed the flight path of the aircraft 45 kilometers to the east.

 

“At 12:30pm Flight 901 was about 70 kilometres from McMurdo Station. Permission was given by the McMurdo radio communications centre to descend to 3050 metres and proceed “visually”. Air safety regulations were against dropping lower than a height of 1830 metres even under good weather conditions, but Collins believed the plane was flying over low, flat ground. Other pilots regularly flew low over the area to give their passengers a better view.

 

“At 12.45pm Collins advised McMurdo Centre he was dropping further to 610 metres. At this point he locked onto the computerized navigational system, but Flight 901 was not where either McMurdo Centre or the crew thought it was. The change in the two co-ordinates had put Flight 901 on a path not across the flat ground of McMurdo Sound, but across Lewis Sound and towards the 3794 meter-high active volcano, Mount Erebus.

 

“Because the air was clear and beneath the cloud layer, the white of the ice blended with the white of the mountain, with no contrast to show the sloping up of the land – a whiteout. At 12:49pm the deck altitude device began to blare a warning but there was no time for Collins to save the situation from disaster. Six seconds later Flight 901 hit the side of Mount Erebus and disintegrated….” (Christchurch City Libraries. Mount Erebus air disaster (website). Accessed 7-18-2017.)

 

Newspaper

 

Nov 29: “Christchurch, New Zealand (AP) — The New Zealand airliner that carried 257 persons to their deaths in the Antarctic was on the wrong side of the volcano it hit, and the pilot apparently was to blame, the director of the recovery operation said today. ‘It would seem there has been a substantial error in navigation by the pilot,’ said Roy Thomason, chief of the Antarctic division of New Zealand’s Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. ‘The plane was basically on the wrong side of the mountain. It crashed on the northeast side of Mount Erebus. It should have been passing the mountain on the northwest side.’

 

“The DC-10 was on a sightseeing trip along the Antarctic Coast when it crashed Wednesday [Nob 28], killing all aboard, including 21 Americans. Thomson said he could almost certainly rule out the possibility of structural or mechanical failure….

 

“Three New Zealand mountaineers were lowered to the site today by a U.S. Navy helicopter. They said the plane apparently exploded when it crashed only 1,500 feet up the 12,400-foot volcano, which slopes at a 35-degree angle….The mountaineers reported no survivors among the 20 crew and 237 passengers, who included John Greenleaf Houghton, 39, an associate professor at the University of Nevada who specialized in the study of arctic climate. He was on a year’s sabbatical at New Zealand’s Otago University….

 

“Erebus is on Ross Island, off the Antarctic coast 2,000 miles south of New Zealand. A low-altitude swing past the volcano was part of the 11-hour round trip from Auckland, New Zealand, to the bottom of the world and back….The weather at the time was clear with light clouds….” (AP. “Navigation error…in Antarctic crash.” Lawrence Journal-World, KS, 11-29-1979, 2.)

 

U.S. Fatalities

(Erebus.co.nz. The Erebus Story. “Roll of Remembrance.”)

 

1. Aisenman, Lleone Margaret.
2. Barnick, Kay.
3. Barnick, Marion Ruth.
4. Blair, Patricia Adele.
5. Burckhalter, Lucile Clark.
6. Corey, Constance, Dr.
7. Duff, Helen Dora.
8. Ferrell, Jean.
9. Hance, Florence
10. Houghton, John Greenleaf.
11. Jahn, Ernest Adalbert.
12. Jahn, Isabel.
13. Klassovity, Paul Anthony.
14. Klensch, Carl Robert.
15. Lake, Mary Louise.
16. Lies, Michael Ralph.
17. Magnell, Muriel.
18. Magnell, Theodore James.
19. Mason, Robert.
20. Ruden, Karl.
21. Sheppard, George M.
22. Steel, Ralph Augustus.
23. Thompson, Billie Tadlock.
24. Thompson, Henry Ford.

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Navigation error blamed in Antarctic crash.” Lawrence Journal-World, KS, 11-29-1979, p. 2. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/kansas/lawrence/lawrence-journal-world/1979/11-29/page-2?tag

 

Christchurch City Libraries. Mount Erebus air disaster (website). Accessed 7-18-2017. Accessed 7-18-2017 at: https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/erebus/

 

Erebus.co.nz. The Erebus Story. The Loss of TE901 (website). 2009. Accessed 7-18-2017 at:  http://www.erebus.co.nz/

 

 

 

 

 

[1] A detailed explanation can be found on The Erebus Story website — “The Erebus Flight Path Controversy” page.

— 14  Bell. “Fourteen Die in Ohio Boarding Home Fire.” NFPA Fire Journal, July 1980, p. 28.

— 14  Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria OH. “Boy Plays With Matches…14…Perish,” 11-12-1979.

— 14  NFPA. Coats Rooming House, Pioneer, Ohio, November 11, 1979, 14 Fatalities.

— 14  National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History.  1996.

— 14  U.S. Congress, House. Boarding Home Fires: New Jersey  Hearing, March 9, 1981, p. 14.

 

Narrative Information

 

National Fire Protection Association: “On November 11, 1979, fourteen people died in a fire at the Coats Rooming House, Pioneer, Ohio. A three and one-half-year-old child playing with a cigarette lighter was responsible for a rapidly spreading fire which killed thirteen residents and one of the owners of the home.  The rooming house provided room and board for eleven elderly private residents and eight mentally retarded outpatients.  Two apartment units in the building had an additional five occupants.  The home was operated by the owners, who also resided in the building. Because of the husband’s poor health, the wife continued the day-to-day operation of the boarding home with the help of one employee.

 

“The fire which occurred at 9:20 a.m. on a Sunday morning, started in a sofa in an apartment unit located on the first floor of the one and two-story structure. Fire and smoke spread rapidly, throughout the building, trapping many residents in their rooms. Combustible interior finish, heavy fuel loading, lack of compartmentation, a single means of egress from the second floor, and the apparent lack of response of some of the residents to the fire conditions contributed to the fourteen fatalities.”  (NFPA. Coats Rooming House, Pioneer, Ohio, Nov 11, 1979…. Pp. 1-2.)

 

“The fire originated in a daybed on which two children had been sleeping in the rented apartment unit in the northwest corner of the building. On the morning of the fire, a 20-year old mother, her three children aged 3 years, 2 years and 3 months were in the apartment along with the 17-year-old baby-sitter who had slept over after watching the children the previous evening.

 

“At approximately 9:25 a.m., the baby-sitter sleeping in a bunk bed at the rear of the rental unit, awoke to find the day bed on fire. The fire was already extending up the sheer window curtains behind the couch. She picked up the 3-month old sleeping in a nearby crib, ran past the day bed to the entry foyer of the apartment where she woke the mother who was asleep on a couch. The 2- and 3-year-old children were standing by the sleeping mother.  As the baby-sitter got the children out of the building, the mother ran through the kitchen of the rental unit to the kitchen of the boarding house where she found the owner. As she opened the door between the apartment and the kitchen, smoke poured through the doorway after her. The mother took a 10-pound carbon dioxide fire extinguisher from the kitchen and returned to the room where the couch was burning. She attempted to extinguish the fire, but the carbon dioxide extinguisher was ineffective. As heat and flame rolled back toward her, she retreated and left the building.

 

“The owner had been in the kitchen and immediately placed a call to her son-in-law, who was the town’s police chief. He broadcast the fire alarm over the fire department base station located in his home.  Upon hearing the alarm, the ex-fire chief for the town, his son, and another neighbor ran from their homes across the street to the rooming house. Fire was issuing from the windows of the apartment located in the northwest corner of the building. They entered the corridor on the east side of the building. Smoke was already filling the rooms and corridors.

 

“Although thick smoke was present in their rooms, several residents were found sitting in chairs or sitting or lying on their beds. They were pulled to their feet, and either led or directed to the nearest door to the outside. Seven residents, including the invalid owner of the building, were led from the building before smoke conditions became untenable and rescuers were forced to abandon their efforts.

 

“Although it was apparent to the other rescuers that it was impos­sible to reenter the building to rescue any other residents, the owner reentered the building. Her body was later found at the bottom of the single stairway to the second floor. Her arms were around a resident whom she was attempting to rescue….

 

“The fatalities from the fire ranged in age from 36 to 87 years old.  Ten of the eleven residents who resided on the second floor succumbed to the fire.  One 58-year old resident who roomed on that floor was at church at the time of the fire.

 

“Of the fatalities on the second floor, three were found sitting or lying on their beds. One resident was found sitting in a chair.  Three victims were located on the first floor. One victim was on her bed while a second was found in a bedside chair. The third was found in a location that would indicate possible move­ment toward the front door which was in the direction of the fire when the victim was overcome….” (NFPA. Coats Rooming House, Pioneer, Ohio, Nov 11, 1979…. Pp. 3-5.)

 

Newspaper

 

Nov 12: “Pioneer, Ohio (UPI) – Residents northwest of Toledo, responded to a fire that killed 14 women with open arms to the survivors and nothing but kind words for Gladys Coats.  Mrs. Coats, 62, was the owner-operator of the boarding home, struck by fire Sunday morning.  She died trying to save the life of one of the residents after she had already rescued three people, including her husband.  A breathless Mrs. Coats told her son-in-law, Police Chief Dave Norris, over the phone, “Brian set fire to the couch, hurry.” Brian, who escaped the blaze, is a 4-year-old boy who lived in an apartment attached to the home.

 

“Within two minutes, retired Fire Chief Paul Oxender and his firefighting son, Paul, were on the front lawn of the brick house. The two-story house and the wooden apartments attached to it were in flames.  It housed mostly retarded and elderly people.

 

“Another resident, Kenny Grant, looked out his front window and saw “the whole thing was in flames.” He ran over and the three men tramped through the flower beds to the house’s east door.

Together they dragged out a man with one leg and put him under a tree.  They couldn’t get into the house again.  “It was just filled with black smoke,” said Grant. The men could not find Mrs. Coats, who before them had dragged out two of her residents and her husband Eugene, who has a heart condition.

 

“They would find her body later.  Mrs. Coats had gone back in for a third resident and apparently died of smoke inhalation.  “She must have been stumbling around in that black smoke, feeling with her hands. She couldn’t have seen anything,” Grant said.  “I knew her as a very fine person,”

said a neighbor “She was a real sweetheart,” said another.

 

“Mrs. Coats neighbors converged on North Central School, the village’s combined elementary and high school, just one house from Mrs. Coats. The school became a temporary morgue and a meeting place for residents trying to help.  “People came as soon as they heard,” said one woman who had been ladling coffee for nine hours. “They brought dishes of food right off their dinner tables.”….

 

“In the gym, near the cafeteria, the coroner identified the 14 bodies taken from Mrs. Coats’ house.

 

“State officials came to the school too.  They began talking to reporters about how Mrs. Coats’ house was just like a chimney.  It was old, had no sprinkler system, it wasn’t safe enough to be a

nursing home.  Then Judy Norris came. Mrs. Coats was her mother. “They had the best of help and the best of care,” she said holding back the tears. “I know.  I worked there every day.  I won’t let anybody downgrade her.”

 

“No one from Pioneer did.  “She took in all kinds of people,” Grant said. “I bet half of them she never charged.”  “She devoted her whole life to those people,” Chief Norris said of his mother-in-law. “She took in people in the middle of the night.”  “And she saved two people,” Mrs. Norris said. “Plus she dragged my dad out”.” (Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. “Boy Plays With Matches…14 People Perish,” 11-12-1979.)

 

Sources

 

Bell, James R. “Fourteen Die in Ohio Boarding Home Fire.” Fire Journal, National Fire Protection Association, July 1980, pp. 28-33.

 

Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH. “Boy Plays With Matches…14 People Perish,” 11-12-1979, pp. 1&4. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=30185590

 

National Fire Protection Association. Coats Rooming House, Pioneer, Ohio, November 11, 1979, 14 Fatalities. Boston, MA:  NFPA.

 

National Fire Protection Association. Key Dates in Fire History. 1996. Accessed 2010 at:  http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=1352&itemID=30955&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fire%20statistics/Key%20dates%20in%20fire%20history&cookie%5Ftest=1

 

United States Congress, House of Representatives. Boarding Home Fires: New Jersey (Hearing before the Select Committee on Aging, 97^th Congress, 1^st Session, Jan 21, 1981, Trenton, NJ).

Washington, DC: GPO, 1981.

— 32  Center for Tankship Excellence. Burmah Agate.

— 32  NFPA. “Recent Multi-Fatality Fires.”  In:  U.S. Congress, House.  Boarding Home Fires.

— 32  National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac.  1983, p. 140.

— 31  United States Coast Guard. Air Station Houston, Texas.

 

Narrative Information

 

CTE: “On the morning of November 1, 1979, the Burmah Agate and the Mimosa collided at the entrance to Galveston Harbor. The Mimosa struck the Burmah Agate on its starboard side, tearing an 8 by 15 foot hole in the hull near Cargo Tank No. 5. An explosion occurred upon impact, and the leaking oil ignited. The USCG immediately dispatched the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant to begin search and rescue operations. By 1230 all 26 crew members of the Mimosa had been found, but only 6 of the Burmah Agate’s 37 crew members were accounted for.

 

Admiral Loy (quoted in CTE): “….Just before 0530 the next morning [after getting into port], my phone rang. The M/T Burmah Agate, inbound with a full load of fuel, both bunkers and cargo, had collided with the outbound freighter Mimosa just outside the Galveston Bay Entrance Channel. Valiant was underway within an hour to assume the role of On Scene Commander.

 

“The first 24 hours demanded frantic action to save lives and prevent the disaster from escalating. When Valiant arrived, the Burmah Agate lay aground, its superstructure aft completely engulfed in flames with other fires raging along its starboard side and on its forecastle. The Mimosa was also ablaze, but it was making way, not under command, carving huge circles about her starboard anchor, which she had somehow managed to drop. Then-Captain, now retired Rear Admiral, Dave Ciancaglini and two other aircraft commanders led heroic helicopter crews on sortie after sortie to rescue crewmen from the burning decks. The disaster had already killed more than thirty sailors. It promised to get much worse as the slowly circling Mimosa worked its way across the buoyed channel, heading inexorably toward a field of active and capped gas pipes and other anchored shipping.

 

“We got our Rescue and Assistance team aboard the Mimosa, but they could not stop its movement: up forward, the port anchor was frozen in place; back aft, the intensity of the fire kept them from reaching the emergency cut-off valves that would have denied fuel to the engines. Finally, just as we prepared to interpose Valiant between the Mimosa and further disaster, the combined efforts of a commercial tug and Group Galveston small boats succeeded in fouling her screw, and stopping the burning ship. One disaster was averted, but we still had two ships on fire, one loaded with 400,000 barrels of oil. It took six weeks for the fire on Burmah Agate to burn itself out, and the work to clean the beaches of Galveston Island lasted until Christmas.” (Loy, Admiral James M.. State of the Coast Guard Address. Andrews Air Force Base, MD, 5-4-1999.)

 

USCG: “…in November the Burmah Agate, a tanker carrying 16 million gallons of oil, collided with the freighter Mimosa off Galveston. The air station’s helicopters rescued 27 crewmen from the burning vessels and flew more than 115.6 hours searching for the 31 missing crewmen and on pollution over-flights.  The Burmah Agate burned for 69 days.” (USCG. Air Station Houston TX.)

 

Sources

 

Center for Tankship Excellence. Burmah Agate. Accessed 7-18-2017 at: http://www.c4tx.org/ctx/job/cdb/precis.php5?key=19791101_001

 

Loy, Admiral James M.. State of the Coast Guard Address. Andrews Air Force Base, MD, 5-4-1999. in Center for Tankship Excellence. Burmah Agate.

 

National Fire Protection Association. “Recent Multi-Fatality Fires.”  In: U.S. Congress, House.  Boarding Home Fires: New Jersey (Hearing, March 9, 1981), pp. 71-73.

 

National Fire Protection Association. The 1984 Fire Almanac. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1983.

 

United States Coast Guard.  Air Station Houston, Texas. Accessed 4-25-2009 at:  http://www.uscg.mil/history/stations/airsta_houston.asp

 

 

 

 

 

— 73  Blanchard estimate.[1]

— 75  Gepfert (LA Times). “DC-10 crash: Another black eye for manufacturer.” 11-29-1979, 40.

— 75  UPI, Mexico City. “DC-10 crew at fault.” Hutchinson News, KS, 12-15-1979, p. 2.[2]

— 75  UPI, Mexico. “Plane Toll Hits 75.” Evening Review, East Liverpool, OH, 11-20-1979, 1.[3]

— 74  AP. “Mexico Jet-Crash Toll Rises to 74.” Toledo Blade, OH, 11-1-1979, p. 2.[4]

— 74  AP. “Navigation error blamed in Antarctic crash.” Lawrence Journal-World, 11-29-79, p2.[5]

— 74  Eckert. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981,” AJFM&P, March 1983, p.56.

— 74  UPI. “Confusion Over Runways Caused DC-10 Crash.” Pharos-Tribune, 11-1-1979, p.21.[6]

— 73  Aviation Safety Network. “Accident description…31 October 1979…Western Air Lines.”[7]

— 73  Garrison, Peter. “Aftermath: Wrong Runway Landing,” Flying, Dec 1983, p. 106.[8]

— 73  ICAO. Aircraft Accident Digest No. 26 (Circular 173-AN/109). “1979 Accidents.” 1983.[9]

— 73  NTSB. Safety Recommendation(s) A-80-59 and -60. Letter to FAA, 7-14-1980.[10]

— 73  NTSB. Safety Recommendation(s) A-82-91 through -93. Letter to FAA. 8-18-1982.[11]

— 73  UPI. “Investigators probe DC-10 crash site.” The Daily Herald, IL, 11-2-1979, p. 2-7.[12]

— 73  Wikipedia. “Western Airlines Flight 2605.” 10-5-2016 modification.

— 72  NTSB. “NTSB Identification: DCA80RA003,” Aircraft: Douglas DC-10.[13]

United States deaths:

— 34  AP. “DC-10 Passenger List.” Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. 11-1-1979, A12.[14]

–29  California.

—  1  Hawaii (Honolulu).

—  1  Illinois (Chicago).

—  3  Washington (Auburn {1} and Seattle {2}).

— 28  U.S. deaths. Sidebar on Nationality and On board fatalities. Wikipedia. “Western…”[15]

— 26  UPI. “Confusion Over Runways Caused DC-10 Crash.” Pharos-Tribune, 11-1-1979, p.21.[16]

— 26  UPI. “Investigators probe DC-10 crash site.” The Daily Herald, IL, 11-2-1979, p. 2-7

 

Narrative Information

 

ASN Narrative: “Flight 2605 departed Los Angeles at 01:40 for a flight to Mexico City. Because of refurbishing work on runway 23L, the flight was cleared for a runway 23R approach. Descend through a fog bank was continued below the 600 feet minimum for instrument approaches. The aircraft touched down with the left main gear in the grass left of 23L and with the right main gear on the runway shoulder. Go-around power was added and the nose lifted 10-11deg. The right main gear then collided with a truck located on the runway. The gear leg separated and struck the right tailplane and elevator, causing substantial damage. The aircraft banked to the right until it struck the left wing struck the cab of an excavator, 1500 m from the runway threshold, continued and crashed into a building and caught fire.

 

“Probable Cause: ‘Non-compliance with the meteorological minima for the approach procedure, as cleared; failure to comply with the aircraft’s operating procedures during the approach phase, and landing on a runway closed to traffic.’”[17]

 

ICAO: “Synopsis. At 0542 h on 31 October 1979, Western Airlines Flight 2605, a DC-10 aircraft, crashed while landing on Runway 23 Left at Licenciado Benito Juárez International Airport, Mexico City. This runway was closed for repairs at the time. Seventy-two persons on board the aircraft and one person on the ground were killed in the accident. The aircraft was destroyed…

 

“History of the Flight. Flight No. 2605, a McDonnell Douglas DC10-10, registration N-903WA, owned by Western Airlines Inc., had taken off from Los Angeles International Airport, California, for Mexico City, D.F. at 0140 h local time on 31 October 1979. The Mexico centre had cleared the crew to approach Mexico City via Tepexpan, subsequently instructing the aircraft crew to change frequency to the control tower. The tower operator informed the crew that the runway in use was 23 Right and provided the crew with information on the weather conditions prevailing at Mexico City International Airport, and landing data. When the aircraft was on final approach, the control tower operator repeated that the runway in use was 23 Right and drew the attention of the pilot to the fact that he was left of the flight path he should be following to land on the runway in use. The pilot acknowledged the information and the fact that he was slightly to the left. The transcription of the magnetic tape which contains the communications between the control tower operator and the crew of aircraft N-903WA reveals that at one point the control tower operator asked the pilot whether he could see the approach lights on his left, to which the pilot replied ‘negative’.

 

“The data obtained from the aircraft’s flight recorder shows that the crew was making an instrument approach. The instrument landing procedure authorized in the aeronautical information publication (AIP) for Runway 23 Left with transition to 23 Right specifies that if the pilot does not have the runway in sight at 600 ft during an instrument landing approach, he must break off the approach and climb to 8,500 ft. In this case the crew continued with the landing procedure, ignoring the requirement to call out the altitude values and the decision minimum, and descended until the landing gear touched down off-centre of Runway 23 Left, which was closed to all operations. On the transcription of the cockpit voice recorder the pilot-in-command is heard to have said that he was on the flight path to Runway 23 Left, just before the left landing gear wheels touched down on the grass to the left of Runway 23 Left and the right landing gear wheels on the runway shoulder. The aircraft did not enter the runway until it had travelled some 100 m According to the flight recorder data and the wheel traces at the site of the accident, the crew re-applied power for the go-around procedure and lifted the aircraft nose by 10°-11°. Now airborne, the aircraft’s right landing gear collided with a truck located on the left shoulder of the runway which was closed for repairs. The impact left a distinct mark in the left-hand side of the vehicle’s bonnet corresponding exactly to the shape and size of the aircraft’s wheel. [end of p. 101]

 

“The collision with the truck, which was loaded with 10 tonnes of earth, removed the right landing gear leg with part or sections of the main gear beam to which it is attached, bursting three of the four tires. The two front times came off the wheels, whose hubs disintegrated, scattering pieces away from the aircraft. The horizontal shaft which carries the two front wheels and the associated brake units also broke off and were projected forward over a distance of over 400 m. After breaking off, the right landing gear leg struck the right tailplane and elevator, severing the two almost completely. This caused the landing gear leg complete with the two rear tires, wheels and brake units to be thrown about 70 m beyond the point of collision with the truck….

 

“Three seconds before the collision with the truck the engine throttles were opened. The collision occurred under these conditions and in spite of the violence of the impact the aircraft remained airborne and flew on, although lift was precarious due to the loss on the right side of the tailplane complete with elevator and the inner section of the wing flap. The aircraft was banked to the right and this inclination increased so much that when the aircraft was approximately 1,500 m from the threshold of Runway 23 Left, the outer section of the right wing flap struck the cab of an excavator which was parked parallel to the right-hand edge of Runway 23 Left. The impact completely destroyed the cab… The aircraft continued, veering to the right and increasing its bank angle towards that side until the right wing tip was scraping Taxiway ‘A’, leaving a deep score in the pavement…. [p. 102]

 

“Twenty minutes before the accident to aircraft N-903WA, a B-727 aircraft of the Mexicana Airline which was performing Flight No. 111 from Los Angeles, California, landed in accordance with the same procedure which the Western aircraft was instructed to follow, namely approach via Tepexcan-Metro Eco-23 Right, using the VOR as guidance during the final approach. All the radio aids and lighting systems for Runway 23 Right were operating normally…. [p. 103]

 

“The pilot-in-command…had made 28 landings at Mexico City International Airport, 11 during September and 4 during October 1979.” [p. 103]

 

“Western Airlines, owner of the aircraft, had brought to the attention of all crews flying on services to Mexico, NOTAM No. 2841 issued on 19 October 1979, i.e. that Runway 05 Right/23 Left would be closed for all operations for resurfacing work from the date of the NOTAM.” [p. 108]

 

“The crew never reported to the control tower operator that the runway was in sight and no landing clearance was therefore given.” [p. 109]

 

“Probable cause: Non-compliance with the meteorological minima for the approach procedure, as cleared; failure to comply with the aircraft’s operating procedures during the approach phase, and landing on a runway closed to traffic.” [p. 109] (International Civil Aviation Organization. Aircraft Accident Digest No. 26 “1979 Accidents, No. 6.” Pp. 101-109.)

 

NTSB Safety Recommendation A-80-59 and -60: “On October 31, 1979, Western Airlines, Inc., McDonnell Douglass DC-10-10, N-903WA, crashed at Mexico City International Airport, Mexico. Although the aircraft was cleared for a Tepexpan arrival and was advised that the landing runway was 23R, the crew continued the approach to runway 23L, which had been closed for repairs. The aircraft struck heavy equipment on runway 23L as the crew attempted to execute a missed approach. Of the 76 passengers and 13 crewmembers aboard, 61 passengers and 11 crewmembers were fatally injured, and 13 passengers and 2 crewmembers were seriously injured. One person on the ground was fatally injured.

 

“The crew was advised on at least four occasions by either Mexico City Air Route Traffic Control Center or the tower that they were to land on runway 23R. However, none of these air traffic control (ATC) communications contained phraseology similar to that used n United States ATC communications regarding a sidestep maneuver.[18] The investigation revealed that both pilots knew that runway 23L was closed and that each had landed aircraft at the airport while the runway was closed.

 

“The Safety Board believes that a good graphic presentation of the sidestep maneuver on the approach chart would have aided the crew. Nowhere on standard United States approach charts is the complete maneuver portrayed, nor is the word ‘sidestep’ shown. The procedure is shown as a straight-in approach to an adjacent runway, as a circling approach to the sidestep runway, or as a note at the bottom of the chart giving ceiling and visibility minima. In the accident case, the Mexico City chart for runway 23 right contained only ceiling and visibility minima.

 

“The Safety Board believes that a separate instrument approach chart is needed for the 33 airport runways that utilize the sidestep maneuver in the United States. In addition, we believe there is a need to publish more information on sidestep maneuver procedures.

\

“Accordingly, the Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Administration:

 

Revise FAA Handbook 8260.19 to require that separate standardized instrument approach charts be published for all airport approaches that require a sidestep maneuver. These charts should clearly indicate the airport approach plan view, the profile view, and the landing minima required. (Class II, Priority Action) (A-80-59)

 

Publish and Advisory Circular, or amend an existing Advisory Circular, to disseminate information on the sidestep maneuver procedures, terminal ATC communication procedures, radar separation and equipment requirements, and landing minima applicable to the use of the sidestep maneuver by American air carriers at both domestic and foreign airports. (Class I, Urgent Action) (A-80-60).”

 

NTSB Safety Recommendation(s) A-82-91 through -93: “….On October 31, 1979, a Western Airlines, Inc., DC-10-10, crashed while making an instrument landing system (ILS) approach to the Mexico City International Airport. Sixty-one passengers and 11 crewmembers were fatally injured [72]; 13 passengers and 2 crewmembers were seriously injured [15];[19] and one person on the ground was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft was cleared to land by means of a sidestep maneuver[20] which was not performed by the pilot. As a result of the investigation, the Safety Board recommended that the FAA require separate standardized instrument approach charts for sidestep maneuver approaches. (Safety Recommendation A-80-59.)….

 

“All of the foregoing recommendations addressed two basic issues — our belief that insufficient attention is given to human performance criteria in the development of approach procedures and in the process for reviewing the approach procedure depiction on the approach charts — both of which are deficiencies that can lead to confusion and mistakes by the pilot users. Pilots have been criticized for misinterpreting approach charts and approach procedures, with little consideration given to the operating environment in which the procedures and charts are used and the degree to which these procedures and charts themselves may be conducive to error. The Safety Board believes that it is the obligation of the developers of approach procedures and charts to incorporate human factors considerations into their design so that the possibility for pilot confusion, misinterpretation, or error is eliminated….” (NTSB Safety Recommendation(s) A-82-91 through -93, p. 3.)

 

Newspapers

 

Oct 31, AP: “Mexico City (AP) — A Western Airlines DC-10 jetliner bound from Los Angeles with 88 persons reported aboard crashed while landing in fog and smog at the Mexico City airport today, plowing into two buildings, and Red Cross officials at the scene said they had recovered 55 bodies from the wreckage. Nineteen persons were reported to have survived. The fate of the others was not immediately known.

 

“A Mexican aviation official said the plane touched down on a runway that was closed for repairs and that it struck a parked truck and killed its driver.

 

“Pedro Jose, a surviving passenger, said: ‘It was a normal flight all the way from Los Angeles up to Mexico City airport. Around three or four minutes before we were landing there was a lot of fog around the place and the airplane sort of rattled up a bit and about a half a minute later it just went flat, just crashed. The plane popped right open and I was around two or three behind the wing so I could get out. Inside the plane there was a lot of fire and a lot of dead people. Right after the accident the seats were right on top of one another and the plane was cracked open.’….”

(Associated Press. “DC-10 Crashes in Mexico City.” The Register, Orange County, CA, 10-31-1979, p. 1.)

 

Nov 1, UPI: “Mexico City (UPI) — Confusion over two parallel runways sent 74 people to their deaths in the fiery crash of a Western Airlines DC-10 at the fog-shrouded Mexico City airport. ‘The approach lights are on runway 23-left. That runway is closed to traffic, the correct one is 23-right.’ The control tower told Capt. Charles Gilbert, a 30-year veteran who also died in the crash. ‘OK,’ the pilot responded before landing on 23-left, the parallel runway closed for repairs, and plowing into a string of buildings.

 

“Western Airlines officials said 72 of the 88 people on board flight 2605 from Los Angeles and two people on the ground died in the Wednesday crash — the fourth fatal DC-10 accident in the last six years….

 

“Officials said the ‘black box’ flight recording was recovered and a transcript of the final conversation with the control tower was released late Wednesday by Mexican Television’s channel 2.

 

“…the white-and-red jetliner…carried 75 passengers and 13 crewmen…

 

“Thirty people were injured — some of them on the ground, including ground personnel and neighborhood residents hit by debris.

 

“Investigators, aided by experts from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, worked through the night under floodlights at the crash site….

 

“Also killed on the ground were an Eastern Airline employee working in a building flattened by the plane[21] and the driver of a truck hit by the plane at the top of runway 23-left, Western Airlines officials said….

 

“The Mexican Transportation Ministry said the pilot ‘tried to land on the wrong runway,’ clipped a truck in which the dead truck driver was found, then headed for the correct runway to the right but swiped a building with his right wingtip.

 

“In the final conversation, the tower told the pilot, who was making an instrument approach, ‘There are banks of fog, and also twice told him that 23-right was the correct runway for landing.

 

“A spokesman for the control tower union, Roberto Kobeh, blamed the pilot for the crash. ‘It was a pilot error. It was not the control tower’s fault.’….

 

“Officials said the poor visibility played no role in the crash, though the airport’s log showed that at 6 a.m. — 16 minutes after the crash — there was ‘zero visibility.’

 

“Witnesses said the plane touched down normally, but then seemed to bounce and veer to the right. Its right wing clipped the airport’s post office — filled at the time with workers — and spun around and burst into a ball of flame. The same building was later turned into a temporary morgue….” (UPI. “Confusion Over Runways Caused DC-10 Crash.” Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN, 11-1-1979, p. 21.)

 

Nov 1, Annibali (as told to UPI): “An Italian student, Alessandro Annibali, 22, survived the crash…This is his story…. ‘I was sitting near the back, near the window….When we left Los Angeles at 3 in the morning, the plane was going up very slowly….When we arrived in Mexico City, the DC-10 was going down little by little, very slowly, and then we found a lot of fog and I couldn’t see anything else. I couldn’t see the ground. I just saw that the plane was tilted a little bit toward the right, and it touched down with the right tire. A lot of fire came out and the pilot tried to go up again but it was not possible so we turned right more and more, more dangerously, and then — a big explosion. I closed my eyes and I tried to stay in my place. When I opened them I saw a lot of fire and I heard a lot of voices. I opened my seatbelt and came out of the plane. It was broken in tow parts and when I was not very far away from the plane I heard it blow up. I heard a big explosion. The plane was broken apart near me, on my right side, so I had a very big place to jump out and I remembered after that there was a woman in front of me….After I got out of the plane there was a car coming, an ambulance, and I jumped in but then had to wait because other people were coming. My left hand and my foot is burned and my shoulder is dislocated. When the car was full with seven or eight people, I came here to the hospital… I feel very lucky.’” (UPI. “Survivor Tells of Crash.” Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN, 11-1-1979, p. 21.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “DC-10 Crashes in Mexico City.” The Register, Orange County, CA, 10-31-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/santa-ana/santa-ana-orange-county-register/1979/10-31?tag

 

Associated Press. “DC-10 Passenger List.” Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. 11-1-1979, A12. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/santa-ana/santa-ana-orange-county-register-evening/1979/11-01/page-11?tag

 

Associated Press, Mexico City. “Mexico Jet-Crash Toll Rises to 74.” Toledo Blade, OH, 11-1-1979, p. 2. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ozBPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kQIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7015%2C3327174

 

Associated Press. “Navigation error blamed in Antarctic crash.” Lawrence Journal-World, KS, 11-29-1979, p. 2. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/kansas/lawrence/lawrence-journal-world/1979/11-29/page-2?tag

 

Aviation Safety Network. “Accident description…Wednesday 31 October 1979. Time: 05:42… Operator: Western Air Lines.” Flight Safety Foundation. Accessed 10-5-2016 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19791031-0

 

Eckert, William G. “Fatal commercial air transport crashes, 1924-1981.” American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology, Vol. 3, No. 1, March 1982, Table 1.

 

Garrison, Peter. “Aftermath: Wrong Runway Landing,” Flying, Dec 1983, pp. 100-101 & 106-107. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=8BVI6sNpT4wC&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

Gepfert, Ken (Los Angeles Times). “DC-10 crash: Another black eye for manufacturer.” Kenosha News, WI, 10-29-1979, p. 40. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/wisconsin/kenosha/kenosha-news/1979/11-29/page-39?tag

 

ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization). Aircraft Accident Digest No. 26 (Circular 173-AN/109). “1979 Accidents.” Montreal, Canada, ICAO, 1983, pp. 101-109. Accessed 10-6-2016 at: http://docplayer.net/docview/24/2551935/#file=/storage/24/2551935/2551935.pdf

 

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: DCA80RA003,” Aircraft: Douglas DC-10. Washington, DC: NTSB, File 1-0026, no date. Accessed from Index for October 1979 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=34511&key=0

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Safety Recommendation(s) A-80-59 and -60. Letter to Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration. Washington, DC: NTSB, 7-14-1980, revised 8-21-1980. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/RecLetters/A80_59_60.pdf

 

National Transportation Safety Board. Safety Recommendation(s) A-82-91 through -93. Letter to Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration. Washington, DC: NTSB, 8-18-1982. Accessed 10-5-2016 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-recs/recletters/A82_91_93.pdf

 

The Free Dictionary. “Side-step maneuver.” Accessed 10-5-2016 at: http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/side-step+maneuver

 

United Press International, Mexico City. “Confusion Over Runways Caused DC-10 Crash.” Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN, 11-1-1979, p. 21. Accessed 10-6-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/logansport/logansport-pharos-tribune/1979/11-01/page-21?tag

 

United Press International, Mexico City. “DC-10 crew at fault.” Hutchinson News, KS, 12-15-1979, p. 2. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/kansas/hutchinson/hutchinson-news/1979/12-15?tag

 

United Press International, Mexico City. “Investigators probe DC-10 crash site.” The Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL, 11-2-1979, p. 2-7. Accessed 10-6-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/arlington-heights/daily-herald-suburban-chicago/1979/11-02/page-38?tag

 

United Press International, Mexico City. “Plane Toll Hits 75.” Evening Review, East Liverpool, OH, 11-20-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-7-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/ohio/east-liverpool/east-liverpool-evening-review/1979/11-20?tag

 

United Press International, Mexico City. “Survivor Tells of Crash.” Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN, 11-1-1979, p. 21. Accessed 10-6-2016 at:

http://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/logansport/logansport-pharos-tribune/1979/11-01/page-21?tag

 

Wikipedia. “Western Airlines Flight 2605.” 10-5-2016 modification. Accessed 10-5-2016 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Airlines_Flight_2605

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] While there are a number of estimates of 74 or 75 fatalities, these are all from newspaper reports and could well reflect that early reports included the deaths of two or three locals on the ground. It appears that only one person was killed on the ground — a local truck driver. The NTSB, ICAO, and ASN all note 73 deaths including one on ground.

[2] “Crew members of a…DC-10 that crashed Oct. 31 in Mexico City killing 75 people were responsible for the accident because they violated airline safety procedures, the Mexican government said Friday [Dec 14].”

[3] “The death toll from last month’s crash of a Western Airlines DC-10 has risen to 75, authorities said. Rafael Martinez, 31, a Mexican resident of Los Angeles, died Sunday [Nov 18] at the American British Cowdray Hospital from multiple injuries he suffered in the Oct. 31 crash, hospital spokesmen said Monday. Airport workers Sunday also found the decomposed remains of an unidentified woman under the plane’s twisted wreckage, officials said Monday.”

[4] The number 74, however, includes the statement that three people died on the ground (truck driver and two persons in an Eastern Airlines building when it was hit by the plane. Later sources, such as the NTSB, only reference the death of the truck driver on the ground. Article writes: “Red Cross and U.S. consular officials said that 63 bodies were recovered and that there was no hope that the 8 missing persons would be found alive [there was an intense fire].” Thus the total of fatalities from the plane at this point (the day after) would be 71 on the plane and one on the ground, for a total of 72. We know that one flight 2605 survivor died on Nov 18. This would bring total to 73.

[5] The article title refers to the Nov 28 crash of a New Zealand airliner in Antarctica, killing all 257 persons aboard.

[6] There were 73 deaths. Error appears to be in noting two deaths on the ground. NTSB writes that there was one.

[7] Nine of 11 crewmembers, 63 of 77 passengers died; thus 72 fatalities of the 88 aboard the plane. 1 ground death.

[8] Fatality number refers to 73 passenger and crew deaths and the driver of the dump truck, while noting “There were an undisclosed number of casualties among ground personnel, including, needless to say, the driver of the…truck.” Editorial at the end notes: “This article is based on the Air Line Pilots Association’s [ALPA] report of the accident and is intended to bring the issues raised by that report to the attention of our readers….” Thus a pilot point of view is being brought to an understanding of this accident.

[9] On page 103 notes the fatalities as 11 of the 13 crew, 61 of 76 passengers and 1 other (truck driver).

[10] “Of the 76 passengers and 13 crewmembers aboard [89], 61 passengers and 11 crewmembers were fatally injured [72], and 13 passengers and 2 crewmembers were seriously injured [15; 72+15=87]. One person on the ground was fatally injured.”

[11] “Sixty-one passengers and 11 crewmembers were fatally injured; 13 passengers and 2 crewmembers were seriously injured; and one person on the ground was fatally injured.”

[12] Writes “71 of the 88 people on the plane, including 26 Americans” were killed. Also notes: “Two others, the truck driver and a night watchman died on the ground.”

[13] Notes 11 crew deaths and 2 crew minor/no injuries; 61 passenger fatalities, 13 serious injured and 2 with minor/no injuries. “OT” apparently meaning “other” shows “0” under all three “Injuries” columns for “F” (fatal), “S” (serious) and M/N (minor/no injuries). Does not that a truck was hit but does not note a ground fatality. Thus this document shows 72 fatalities from the plane. We know that a truck driver was also killed on the ground.

[14] The AP presents “a list of 88 persons aboard Western Airlines Flight 2606…provided by the airline.” Listed first are the names of 15 surviving passengers followed by the names of two surviving crew members. Following are the names of 60 passengers and 11 crew members. Place of residence (not necessarily the nationality) are provided for most of those listed. Among the places of residence can be counted 34 in the United States — mostly California. While we did not double-check by name in obituaries all the deceased, we did do so for a handful, and the reporting by name in the AP article was correct for them.

[15] Cites “EXC-AEE (1979-11-06). ‘No Han Sido Reclamadas 3 Victimas del Avianazo.’ El Informador, Retrieved 2016-05-05.”

[16] “A U.S. Embassy spokesman said 26 of the dead — and five of the 16 survivors — were Americans.”

[17] Cites International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Circular 173-AN/109; and NTSB Safety Recommendations A-80-59/60.

[18] Footnote 1 in original: “A visual alignment maneuver required of a pilot executing an approach to one runway while cleared to land on a parallel runway.”

[19] Total comes to 87.

[20] “A visual maneuver accomplished by a pilot at the completion of an instrument approach to permit a straight-in landing on a parallel runway that is separated by 1200 ft or less….Pilots are expected to commence the maneuver as soon as possible after the runway, or runway environment, is in sight.” (The Free Dictionary.)

[21] Another UPI article datelined Mexico City, Nov 2, also writes that two people were killed on the ground — “the truck driver and a night watchman died on the ground.” (UPI. “Investigators probe DC-10 crash site.” The Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL, 11-2-1979, p. 2-7.

–13  Blanchard tally based on State and locality breakouts below.

–10  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.

—  9  UPI. “Storm Leaves Nine Dead; Moves into Upper Midwest.” Pharos-Tribune, 11-1-1979.

—  8  AP. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” 10-31-1979, p. 1.

 

Colorado        (  6)

— 6  National Climatic Data Center/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.

— 5  Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.

— 1  Big Thompson Canyon west of Loveland, Oct 29-31. Rockslide, male.[1]

— 3  West of Kit Carson, Oct 31. Three semi-trailer trucks collide in “blinding snow…”[2]

— 2  U.S. 287, 5 M so. of Campo. CO poisoning/hypothermia; couple in car buried in snowdrift.[3]

 

Nebraska        (>1)  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.

— >1  Oct 30. “…snow was blamed for at least one traffic death.[4]

 

New Mexico   (>1) 

— >1  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.

—   1  Oct 29. “A pilot trying to guide a small plane through blinding snows died in a crash…”[5]

 

Oklahoma      (  3)

—   3  Carter Co., Oct 30. Tornado destroys 2 mobile homes (two females); debris kills male.[6]

—   2  Ardmore area, Carter County, Oct 31. Winter storm spawned tornado. Mobile home.

— >1  Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.[7]

 

Texas              (  2)

— 2  TX Panhandle, Oct 31. Couple trying to help motorist in snow-filled ditch hit by car.[8]

 

Narrative Information

 

Oct 29-31, NCDC on Colorado Blizzard: “A severe blizzard roared across Southeastern Colorado, closing roads, stranding travelers, killing livestock, and generally paralyzing the area on the 30^th and 31^st. The storm produced winds as strong as 70 MPH, up to a foot of snow, and drifts 12 feet high. Almost all highways east and south of Denver were closed on the night of the 30^th….” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.)

 

Oct 29-30, NCDC on Nebraska Panhandle and North Central Heavy Snow: “Wet snow fell with depths averaging 2 to 5 inches in the southern panhandle upwards to 5 to 10 inches in the northern panhandle and western Cherry County. Greatest snowfall reported was 10 inches at Harrison where gusty winds drifted the snow to depths of 2 to 4 feet. The wet snow broke trees and power lines.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 7.)

 

Oct 30-31, NCDC on Nebraska Central and North Central Snow and Freezing Rain: “Wet snow mixed at times with freezing rain and driven by winds gusting to 40 to 50 m.p.h. downed numerous power lines and trees. Many towns and farms were without power with an estimated 50,000 customers affected. Hardest hit areas were around Broken Bow, Basset, Burwell, Loup City and Holdrege. Snow was heavy at times with near blizzard conditions. Heaviest reported snowfalls were 6 inches at Holdrege and around 4 inches in the sandhills.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 7.)

 

Oct 30, NCDC on New Mexico Blizzard: “Intense and deepening low pressure center Oklahoma Panhandle area brought severe blizzard conditions throughout the day. Snow and blowing snow closed most roads and stranded motorists. An estimated 3,000 cattle killed in New Mexico….” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 7.)

 

Oct 30-31, NCDC on Oklahoma Blizzard: “Two to 3 inches of snow fell across the Panhandle with drifts up to a foot in Texas and Cimarron Counties where the damage was greatest. Winds up to 90 mph accompanied the snow. About 5,000 cattle were killed along with hundreds of other farm animals….This was the worst loss of cattle since the blizzard of 1957. Many towns were without power for days as 75 to 95 percent of the power poles in Texas and Cimarron Counties were downed.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 9.)

 

Oct 30, NCDC on Texas Panhandle Winter Storm: “….By 7 a.m. snow began to fall in the northwestern Panhandle and winds began to gust to 50 and 60 mph. By early afternoon visibilities were reported to be near zero over much of the area, although snow accumulations were still light. Twelve-inch deep snow drifts combined with icy roads and blinding sleet and snow, forced 400 vehicles to be abandoned on Interstate 40 between Tucumcari, New Mexico, and Amarillo, Texas. Power lines were down in the Dalhart area and several power poles were reported to be lying across Highway 54 just northeast of Stratford. Power was lost in the communities of Adrian, Borger, Bushland, Channing, Dalhart, Dumas, Gruver, Hartley, Vega and Wildorado for most of the 30^th and a portion of the 31^st of October. Residents gathered in community shelters as temperatures remained below freezing through the night and much of the following day. The most devastating loss to the area was the death of over 9,000 cattle. The combination of high winds and cold temperatures killed many as they developed pneumonia, while others drowned or suffocated as the moisture filled their lungs or froze on their nostrils. Losses due to cattle alone are estimated at $3,500,000. Snowfall amounts for the area generally ranged from 1 to 2 inches with the greatest amount being 5 inches at Bushland in southeastern Potter County.” (NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 12.)

 

Newspapers

 

Oct 30, AP: “Winter made a preview sweep through the southern Plains states today, dumping more than a foot of snow in the Rockies and unleashing howling winds that sent the wind chill factor to 20 below zero in Denver.

 

“In Texas, where snow was falling, northerly winds gusted to hurricane force, triggering severe thunderstorms and at least one small tornado.

 

“The storm, which began developing Monday [Oct 29] and gained strength today [Oct 30], left up to 8 inches of snow in Nebraska, where the snow was blamed for at least one traffic death.

 

“A blanket of snow was laid on Colorado east of the Continental Divide, with up to a half-foot forecast for later in the day. More snow was also predicted for the Texas Panhandle and Kansas….”

 

“…Ellis Burton, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Denver…[said] ‘With the 25 degree temperature and the 30 know wind, it makes a wind chill of 15 to 20 below.’….” (Associated Press. “Winter: a preview sweep.” Garden City Telegram, KS, 10-30-1979, p. 1.

 

Oct 31, UPI on NM: “Near blizzard conditions, with winds up to 60 mph and foot-deep snow, forced road closures, stranding motorists and knocking out telephone and power lines in several northeastern New Mexico communities where stranded motorists took overnight refuge in private homes. Many stranded motorists were held up several hours when Interstate 40 was closed by the icy conditions and semi-trailer rigs that had jack-knifed across the highway between Santa Rosa and Tucumcari….” (UPI. “Blizzard stalls northern N.M.” Roswell Daily Record, NM, 10-31-1979, p. 1.)

 

Nov 1, UPI: “Digging out of huge snowdrifts left by a mid-autumn blizzard, rescuers on the Great Plains found 30 people huddled in the back of a refrigerated truck and helped 16 more from a stranded bus. A couple died, however, before snowplows reached them.

 

“The snowstorm, which killed at least nine people since Tuesday [Oct 30], moved into the northern Plains and upper Midwest today. The National Weather Service posted winter storm warnings for the Dakotas.

 

“More than a foot of snow fell on eastern Colorado, and high winds whipped snowdrifts up to 12 feet high in some areas of the Plains.  Winds gusting past 50 mph blew down power poles in Nebraska and South Dakota Wednesday night, cutting electrical power to more than 15,000 rural customers. Utility officials said it might take until Sunday to restore power.

 

“The storm weakened after two days of battering the Rocky Mountains and central Plains….The huge storm buried a broad area from Nebraska and South Dakota to Colorado and the Texas Panhandle in deep snow….”

 

Nov 2, Crescent News: “Snow piled 12 feet high by the season’s first blizzard melted into mud and slush on the Great Plains today, hampering the efforts of utility crews to restore electrical power to more than 60,000 rural residents.

 

“The storm, which swept out of the Rockies on Tuesday [Oct 30] and moved into Canada Thursday [Nov 1], left a trail of debris from north Texas to North Dakota. Hardest hit were parts of eastern Colorado, western Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota.

 

“The storm killed 10 people in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska, and hundreds of head of cattle on the open ranges of the Plains….” (Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2.)

 

Sources

 

Associated Press. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” Ironwood Daily Globe, MI, 10-31-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/michigan/ironwood/ironwood-daily-globe/1979/10-31?tag

 

Associated Press. “Winter: a preview sweep.” Garden City Telegram, KS, 10-30-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/kansas/garden-city/garden-city-telegram/1979/10-30?tag

 

Crescent-News, Defiance, OH. “Ten die during storm,” 11-2-1979, p. 2. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/ohio/defiance/defiance-crescent-news/1979/11-02/page-2?tag

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979. Asheville, NC: NCDC. Accessed 10-10-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-43C4A048-F9E8-4275-9E88-965C5A78630A.pdf

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 11, Nov 1979. Asheville, NC: NCDC. Accessed 10-10-2016 at: http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-57BD4FF4-2AF8-4091-BBDF-9BBB3F20D44E.pdf

 

United Press International. “Blizzard stalls northern N.M.” Roswell Daily Record, NM, 10-31-1979, p. 1. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-mexico/roswell/roswell-daily-record/1979/10-31?tag

 

United Press International. “First prairie blizzard hits.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 10-31-1979, pp. 6-7. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/ukiah/ukiah-daily-journal/1979/10-31/page-41?tag

 

United Press International. “Rescue teams reach dozens of snow-stranded persons.” Galveston Daily News, 11-1-1979, p. 10-A. Accessed 10-8-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/galveston/galveston-daily-news/1979/11-01/page-10?tag

 

United Press International. “Storm Leaves Nine Dead; Moves into Upper Midwest.” Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN, 11-1-1979, p. 21. Accessed 10-6-2016 at:

http://newspaperarchive.com/us/indiana/logansport/logansport-pharos-tribune/1979/11-01/page-21?tag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3. Writes “Heavy, wet snow was blamed for the slide.”

[2] United Press International. “First prairie blizzard hits.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 10-31-1979, p. 7. Writes: “…a Denver man and two residents of Oklahoma City” died in the crash. NCDC notes the crash took place “during ground blizzard conditions.” NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.

[3] “…two people…died in a car buried under a drift on U.S. 287 some 5 miles south of Campo, Colo. The Baca County Coroner’s Office said Ray Sawyer, 59, and his wife, Mary, 56, of Roswell, N.M., were asphyxiated by carbon monoxide. The bodies were discovered by a truck driver. NCDC, though, writes “A couple froze to death after their car became stuck in a snowdrift…” NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 3.

[4] Associated Press. “Winter: a preview sweep.” Garden City Telegram, KS, 10-30-1979, p. 1.

[5] United Press International. “First prairie blizzard hits.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA. 10-31-1979, p. 7. Also: “A plane flying through the storm crashed in New Mexico Monday night [Oct 29], killing the pilot.” (UPI. “Rescue teams reach dozens of snow-stranded persons.” Galveston Daily News, 11-1-1979, p. 10-A.)

[6] NCDC/NOAA. Storm Data, Vol. 21, No. 10, Oct 1979, p. 9. Notes: “Tornado first touched down about 1.1 mile south and 1.2 miles west of Newport. Two mobile homes were completely demolished. One woman was killed outright and a second died several days later. A third fatality occurred at this location when debris hit a man who was pouring concrete near the mobile homes….”

[7] Associated Press. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” 10-31-1979, p. 1.

[8] Associated Press. “Storm Hits Portions of Central, Southern Plains, 8 Persons Die.” 10-31-1979, p. 1. Victims identified “as Teresa Carroll, 59, of rural Ardmore and Jimmie Lee Bob, 41, of Ardmore, who was…[hit] by pieces of the mobile home as he got out of his truck.”