The DC-7B, which was earmarked for delivery to Continental Airlines, took off from the Santa Monica Airport at 10:15 a.m. on its first functional test flight, with a crew of four Douglas personnel aboard. Meanwhile, in Palmdale to the north, a pair of two-seater F-89J fighter jets took off at 10:50 a.m. on test flights, one that involved a check of their on-board radar equipment. Both jets and the DC-7B were performing their individual tests at an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,600 m) in clear skies over the San Fernando Valley when, at about 11:18 a.m., a high-speed, near-head-on midair collision occurred. Investigators were later able to determine that the two aircraft most likely converged at a point over an area northeast of the Hansen Dam spillway.[4]
Following the collision, Curtiss Adams, the radarman aboard the eastbound twin-engine F-89J Scorpion, was able to bail out of the stricken fighter jet and, despite incurring severe burns, parachuted to a landing on a garage roof in Burbank, breaking his leg when he fell to the ground. The fighter jet's pilot, Roland E. Owen, died when the aircraft plummeted in flames into La Tuna Canyon in the Verdugo Mountains.[4]
The DC-7B, with a portion of its left wing shorn off, remained airborne for a few minutes, then rolled to the left and began an uncontrollable, spiraling, high-velocity dive earthward. In doing so, it began raining debris onto the Pacoima neighborhoods below as the aircraft began to break apart. Seconds later, part of the hurtling wreckage slammed onto the grounds of the Pacoima Congregational Church, killing all four Douglas crew members aboard while the major portions fell onto the adjacent playground of Pacoima Junior High School. On the school playground, where 220 boys were ending their outdoor athletic activities, the wreckage broke upon impact into numerous pieces, and intense fires began due to the aircraft's fuel and oil. Distinct craters were made in the playground by each of the four engines and the main center fuselage section. Two students were struck and killed by this wreckage and debris. A third gravely injured student died two days later in a local hospital. An estimated 75 more students on the school playground suffered critical and minor injuries.[5]
The collision was blamed on pilot error and the failure of both aircraft crews to exercise proper "see and avoid" procedures regarding other aircraft while operating under visual flight rules (VFR). The crash also prompted the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to set restrictions on all aircraft test flights, both military and civilian, requiring that they be made over open water or specifically approved sparsely populated areas.[4]
Media representation
The event is depicted in the film La Bamba, the 1987 biopic of rock 'n' roll figure Ritchie Valens, who was a 15-year-old student at Pacoima Junior High School at the time of the disaster.
Valens was not at school that day because he was attending the funeral of his grandfather.[6][7] Recurring nightmares of the disaster led to Valens' fear of flying,[8] which he overcame after he launched his music career. Valens was killed in a plane crash two years later, along with fellow rock 'n' rollers Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper as well as pilot Roger Peterson, when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza crashed near Mason City, Iowa, late at night of February 3, 1959.[9] However, in the nightmare sequences of the film, the first collision was portrayed by two general aviation aircraft (one of which was the Beechcraft Bonanza in which Valens actually died), as opposed to the aircraft in the actual disaster.[citation needed]
The 1957 crash was discussed on the May 19, 1957, episode of The CBS Radio Workshop (entitled "Heaven Is In the Sky").[10][11] The program described when and how both planes took off from their respective airfields, and included discussion of how the Pacoima Junior High School was having the 7th-grade students outside for exercise. It also included interviews with people who were witnesses and/or affected by the crash.[citation needed]
References
^Hill, Gladwyn. "7 Die as Planes Collide and One Falls in Schoolyard; PLANES COLLIDE, SCHOOL YARD HIT Roar Alerts Students 'Everything on Fire' Witness Describes Crash." The New York Times. Friday February 1, 1957. Page 1. Retrieved on February 3, 2010. "Wreckage of airliner falls into school yard at Pacoima, Calif." (subscription req'd)
^ Cecilia Rasmussen (January 28, 2007). "The day fiery disaster fell from the sky". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
^ Allen, David (February 19, 2021). "Childhood pal recalls Ritchie Valens as 'sweet,' 'tough' from California home". Retrieved May 15, 2021.
^Kahler, Karl (December 29, 1988). "On Pacoima Playground With Ritchie Valens : Grief Moves Him to Save Lives". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 15, 2021. One student developed an intense fear of flying after the accident--Ricardo Valenzuela, who later adopted the name Ritchie Valens.
^"Ritchie Valens | Biography, Songs, Plane Crash, Donna, La Bamba, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
^. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
Test Planes Collide Over School, 7 Die – Joan Gushin website
List of injuries, Pacoima JHS – Joan Gushin website
CBS Radio Workshop, Episode "Heaven Is In the Sky"
January 31, 2023
1957, pacoima, collision, january, 1957, douglas, operated, douglas, aircraft, company, involved, collision, with, united, states, force, northrop, scorpion, crashed, into, schoolyard, pacoima, junior, high, school, located, pacoima, suburban, area, fernando, . On January 31 1957 a Douglas DC 7B operated by Douglas Aircraft Company was involved in a mid air collision with a United States Air Force Northrop F 89 Scorpion and crashed into the schoolyard of Pacoima Junior High School located in Pacoima a suburban area in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles California 1 2 3 1957 Pacoima mid air collisionCrash siteAccidentDateJanuary 31 1957SummaryMid air collisionSiteOver the San Fernando Valley California United States 34 15 03 N 118 25 35 W 34 25083 N 118 42639 W 34 25083 118 42639 Coordinates 34 15 03 N 118 25 35 W 34 25083 N 118 42639 W 34 25083 118 42639Total fatalities8Total injuries78 estimated First aircraftContinental s second N8210H also a DC 7B similar to the accident aircraft and delivered a few months after the incidentTypeDouglas DC 7BOperatorDouglas Aircraft CompanyRegistrationN8210HFlight originSanta Monica Airport Santa Monica California United StatesDestinationSanta Monica Airport Santa Monica California United StatesPassengers0Crew4Fatalities4Injuries0Survivors0Second aircraftA Northrop F 89J Scorpion of the Wisconsin Air National Guard s 176th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in October 1972 TypeNorthrop F 89J ScorpionOperatorUnited States Air ForceRegistration52 1870Flight originPalmdale California United StatesDestinationPalmdale California United StatesPassengers0Crew2Fatalities1Injuries1Survivors1Ground casualtiesGround fatalities3Ground injuries74 estimated Contents 1 Accident 2 Media representation 3 References 4 External linksAccident EditThe DC 7B which was earmarked for delivery to Continental Airlines took off from the Santa Monica Airport at 10 15 a m on its first functional test flight with a crew of four Douglas personnel aboard Meanwhile in Palmdale to the north a pair of two seater F 89J fighter jets took off at 10 50 a m on test flights one that involved a check of their on board radar equipment Both jets and the DC 7B were performing their individual tests at an altitude of 25 000 feet 7 600 m in clear skies over the San Fernando Valley when at about 11 18 a m a high speed near head on midair collision occurred Investigators were later able to determine that the two aircraft most likely converged at a point over an area northeast of the Hansen Dam spillway 4 Following the collision Curtiss Adams the radarman aboard the eastbound twin engine F 89J Scorpion was able to bail out of the stricken fighter jet and despite incurring severe burns parachuted to a landing on a garage roof in Burbank breaking his leg when he fell to the ground The fighter jet s pilot Roland E Owen died when the aircraft plummeted in flames into La Tuna Canyon in the Verdugo Mountains 4 The DC 7B with a portion of its left wing shorn off remained airborne for a few minutes then rolled to the left and began an uncontrollable spiraling high velocity dive earthward In doing so it began raining debris onto the Pacoima neighborhoods below as the aircraft began to break apart Seconds later part of the hurtling wreckage slammed onto the grounds of the Pacoima Congregational Church killing all four Douglas crew members aboard while the major portions fell onto the adjacent playground of Pacoima Junior High School On the school playground where 220 boys were ending their outdoor athletic activities the wreckage broke upon impact into numerous pieces and intense fires began due to the aircraft s fuel and oil Distinct craters were made in the playground by each of the four engines and the main center fuselage section Two students were struck and killed by this wreckage and debris A third gravely injured student died two days later in a local hospital An estimated 75 more students on the school playground suffered critical and minor injuries 5 The collision was blamed on pilot error and the failure of both aircraft crews to exercise proper see and avoid procedures regarding other aircraft while operating under visual flight rules VFR The crash also prompted the Civil Aeronautics Board CAB to set restrictions on all aircraft test flights both military and civilian requiring that they be made over open water or specifically approved sparsely populated areas 4 Media representation EditThe event is depicted in the film La Bamba the 1987 biopic of rock n roll figure Ritchie Valens who was a 15 year old student at Pacoima Junior High School at the time of the disaster Valens was not at school that day because he was attending the funeral of his grandfather 6 7 Recurring nightmares of the disaster led to Valens fear of flying 8 which he overcame after he launched his music career Valens was killed in a plane crash two years later along with fellow rock n rollers Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper as well as pilot Roger Peterson when their chartered Beechcraft Bonanza crashed near Mason City Iowa late at night of February 3 1959 9 However in the nightmare sequences of the film the first collision was portrayed by two general aviation aircraft one of which was the Beechcraft Bonanza in which Valens actually died as opposed to the aircraft in the actual disaster citation needed The 1957 crash was discussed on the May 19 1957 episode of The CBS Radio Workshop entitled Heaven Is In the Sky 10 11 The program described when and how both planes took off from their respective airfields and included discussion of how the Pacoima Junior High School was having the 7th grade students outside for exercise It also included interviews with people who were witnesses and or affected by the crash citation needed References Edit Hill Gladwyn 7 Die as Planes Collide and One Falls in Schoolyard PLANES COLLIDE SCHOOL YARD HIT Roar Alerts Students Everything on Fire Witness Describes Crash The New York Times Friday February 1 1957 Page 1 Retrieved on February 3 2010 Wreckage of airliner falls into school yard at Pacoima Calif subscription req d 31 JAN 1957 Douglas DC 7B N8210H Aviation Safety Network Retrieved on February 3 2010 7 KILLED 74 HURT IN SCHOOL AIR CRASH sic Los Angeles Times February 1 1957 Start page 1 5 pages Retrieved on February 3 2010 dead link a b c 1 C A B DOCKET SA 323 FILE 2 0020 DATE ADOPTED November 22 1957 p 5 Crash Pictures Cecilia Rasmussen January 28 2007 The day fiery disaster fell from the sky Los Angeles Times Retrieved May 15 2021 Allen David February 19 2021 Childhood pal recalls Ritchie Valens as sweet tough from California home Retrieved May 15 2021 Kahler Karl December 29 1988 On Pacoima Playground With Ritchie Valens Grief Moves Him to Save Lives Los Angeles Times Retrieved May 15 2021 One student developed an intense fear of flying after the accident Ricardo Valenzuela who later adopted the name Ritchie Valens Ritchie Valens Biography Songs Plane Crash Donna La Bamba amp Facts Britannica www britannica com Retrieved January 31 2023 The Definitive CBS Radio Workshop Radio Log with Parley Baer Herb Butterfield and William Conrad Archived from the original on January 15 2015 Retrieved January 15 2015 CBS Radio Workshop External links Edit Los Angeles portal Aviation portalFinal accident report Civil Aeronautics Board DOCKET SA 323 FILE 2 0020 DATE ADOPTED November 22 1957 p 5 PDF ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC 7B N8210H Sunland CA Aviation Safety Network We Remember We Heal Joan Gushin website Test Planes Collide Over School 7 Die Joan Gushin website List of injuries Pacoima JHS Joan Gushin website CBS Radio Workshop Episode Heaven Is In the Sky Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1957 Pacoima mid air collision amp oldid 1136682676, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
