Even today severe weather is a cause for concern when flying, to the point where flights are often cancelled or, at the very least, delayed. Choices must be made, hopefully with positive consequences for all involved. Several people in this story were forced to make choices, which tested the strength of their characters. The results of these choices had consequences for years to come.
Sixty years ago, on a freezing cold day in February 1957, Northwest Airlines Flight 823 lifted off from New York’s La Guardia Airport in a fierce snowstorm. Though the takeoff seemed normal, the flight only lasted for a minute before the plane crashed and came to rest on Rikers Island in the Rikers Island Prison Complex. Immediately, the plane was engulfed in flames, as the left wing had sheared off and the engine had been torn away, bursting into flames.
Massive Confusion
One prisoner, Angel Gorbea, looking out from his cell, described the scene to the Associated Press at the time: “The whole sky, even through the snow, was lighted. We, the prisoners, stood at the windows. We saw people tumbling out of that ship — they were all lighted, too, by the flames. We saw them, and their shadows.”
Not only was the air filled with fire and smoke, but also with the screams of the passengers as they struggled to flee the plane in their desperate attempt for survival. But rescue would not be easy: Rikers Island could only be accessed by boat or ferry, which was hindered by the terrible weather. Realizing this, Rikers Assistant Deputy Warden James Harrison had a difficult decision to make —should he release some of the prisoners to help rescue and care for the passengers? Or would they try to escape in the darkness and confusion of the plane wreck, thus jeopardizing his career?
Vital Help
He decided to release the prisoners that were “trusties” —those who had won the trust of the guards by their good behavior. His decision proved to be a good one, as many of the passengers credited the prisoners with saving lives and were thankful to them for that. Not only that, but when it was all over, every prisoner had returned to his cell.
Survival was not easy; many passengers were badly burned and in shock. Many would require extensive surgeries and rehabilitation. Phyllis and Charles Naylor managed to get out of the plane and jumped into a pile of snow to extinguish the flames. It was then that they realized that their faces and hands were dripping. They soon realized the dripping was their burning skin sliding off. It took two months in the hospital for them to recover, and it also required Charles, who was a professional pianist, to make a career change. Instead, he wrote music, because he could not stretch his hands far enough to perform classical music. In spite of this, Phyllis Naylor told a news reporter this year that they considered the accident 60 years ago “a blessing.” “Truth is,” she said, “we had a wonderful life; it has made me appreciate everything.”
Instant Action
Both the warden and passengers had difficult, life-changing decisions to make. The warden had to decide at that moment, how to save as many lives as possible. He made the right decision. All of the passengers had to decide, quickly, how to escape the burning plane. To delay meant certain death. And so it is with each one of us. God tells us that “now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). We cannot enter God’s holy presence unless we come His way. We are hopeless, helpless sinners and cannot save ourselves. We must believe God when He says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). Jesus died on Calvary’s cross for our sins, so that believing on Him in faith, we can have peace with God and eternal life. It is God’s gift to us. But we must accept it in faith. If we put it off, we can become hardened and indifferent. If we delay, we can but die. As this story proves, life is fragile and can end at any moment. A mighty king once said, “There is but a step between me and death” (1 Samuel 20:33And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. (1 Samuel 20:3)). We would plead with you to make the right decision and decide for Christ today, while you may.
A Beautiful Life
Kenneth Kronen and his family were also flying on Flight 823. They had missed an early morning flight because their cabbie had taken a wrong turn to the airport. When the plane crashed and burst into flames, Kenneth picked up his 6-month-old son Mark, who was on fire, and threw him outside into a snowbank. (Other parents did the same with their babies in order to save them.) Then he hurried to help his wife and 2-year-old son Richard to get out of the plane, whereupon they were quickly rushed to safety. They did not see baby Mark and believed that he had died in the snow. Shocked and stunned, they comforted themselves with the thought that at least one of their babies had survived.
But baby Mark did not die. An inmate stepped on his snow-covered, cold body while walking in the snow and brought him to the prison. He was reunited with his grateful family two days later. “He saved my life, no question about it,” Mark told The Post. “I probably would’ve died if he hadn’t found me.” Mark grew up to lead a busy and productive life, marrying and becoming a grandfather. “I can’t express how grateful I am,” Mark said of the inmate who found him covered in snow. “He gave me a beautiful, beautiful life.”
Because of their bravery in helping burning passengers escape and their care in helping tend to the injured by applying Vaseline and bandages to the burn victims, they, too, were rewarded. Thirty of the 56 prisoners were released, and 16 of them had their sentences shortened. Assistant Deputy Warden Harrison’s decision was rewarded with the highest medal he could earn: the Medal of Honor.
Bad Decisions
When questioned, Captain Marsh stated that he believed the plane had hit a pole, which caused the left side of the plane to tilt downward, resulting in the plane plummeting into the ground. But the crash investigators came to a different conclusion: They determined that the probable cause of the crash was Captain Marsh’s inability to correctly interpret his flight instruments. Not only that, he had been in the cockpit during two previous crashes, one in 1952 and another in 1953. No one had died in the previous crashes, but this time it was different. Out of the 101 People on board, 20 lost their lives. The result was that he never piloted an airliner again, but was reassigned to a desk job with Northwest Airlines.
There were many people who agreed with Kenneth Kronan when he said, “That plane should’ve never taken off.” Not only had it been delayed over three hours, but there were also blizzard-like conditions. Investigators determined that the plane reached an altitude of just 200 feet before going down. In hindsight, it seems like the best choice would have been to cancel the flight.
Your Vital Choice
If you choose not to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, there is no doubt as to what the consequences will be. God, who cannot lie, is faithful to warn us that “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)). Decide for Christ today, while you still can!