BOSTON — Monday marks the 50th anniversary of a tragic air disaster that killed 89 occupants aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 723.
Author Paul Houle wrote a book on the tragedy and described it as the "worst air disaster in New England history."
To write his book, Houle dug into the National Archives in Boston and spoke with family members of those who died onboard. He also talked to doctors that treated a survivor from the crash who ultimately died from an infection.
The crash
Houle said there were multiple causes of the plane's crash.
They included a malfunctioning flight director in the cockpit of the plane, air traffic control not giving timely information to the crew as a fog bank enveloped the runway, and the fact that the crew was preoccupied with the flight director, having to respond to late transmissions.
"And it just all culminated at a moment when they should have had their full attention focussed on the landing. It was just a multitude of factors that snowballed and caused the tragedy," Houle said.
A survivor
While 88 people died in the crash that day. One survivor named Leopold Chouinard made it out of the crash. He was a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force from Vermont. At the time of the crash, the author said Chouinard was going back to duty.
Houle said Chouinard's struggle to survive after the crash captivated all of New England and the rest of the U.S.
The author said he spoke with some of the doctors who treated the survivor.
The Associated Press reported in 1973 that Chouinard had both of his legs amputated at mid-thigh, and that eliminated "an overwhelming threat" to his life.
"They just couldn't get over this incredible will Leo hard to survive this crash," Houle said. "Everyone was just praying for this young man to live."
Despite that, Chouinard died of infection 134 days after the crash, the author told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Crash victims
Most of the crash victims were New Englanders, according to Houle, but some were from other parts of the country. This being July, it was summer and vacation time.
Houle actually spoke at the Aviation Museum of N.H. on Thursday about his book and the crash anniversary. A few family members who lost their father in the tragedy came to the event and spoke with the author.
"[It was a] sobering experience for me. They were very gracious about me writing the book," he said.
A man named Geoffrey F. Keating also spoke with Houle at the museum, and it turns out he was at the airport working on a construction project at the time of the crash.
Keating heard the plane go down and saw the flames since he was working near that runway.
"That was an emotional experience for me because I had written about what he had done. Frankly, I didn't even know he was still around. I'm glad he is. We had a great talk. That was an emotional experience for me on a personal level," Houle told NEWS CENTER Maine.
Right after the crash happened, according to Houle, Keating tried to alert others about the blaze. But the radio in the pickup truck Keating used wasn't working right. So, he rushed in person to notify the fire department.
"That plane sat on that runway for eight or nine minutes until air traffic control realized a crash had taken place," Houle said. "It was only when they noticed the fire engines and the vehicles trying to cross the runway, calling for permission to cross, that air traffic control realized something bad had happened."
Michelle Brennen was just a girl when her father, who was aboard Delta Flight 723, died in the crash. She told NEWS CENTER Maine one thing she remembers about her father is just how creative he was.
He built a camping trailer that held the family's gear and bought an empty van, modifying it to sleep all eight family members.
Brennen has connected with the families of all but four people who died on Delta Flight 723.
She said the tragedy impacted her family in expected ways, like not having Brennen's father there to support her mother, not having him take the family camping, and not being able to listen to his stories about his time in the military.
"But my mom did a terrific job trying to fill in and make sure we didn’t feel his loss any more than possible," Brennen said. "My grandmother [her dad’s mom] also spent a lot of time at our house helping my mom out. Still, because it has been 50 years since the accident occurred, I have lived longer without him than with him, so it’s really difficult to know how different my life would have been."
Brennen added that a memorial is being held Sunday to honor the lives of those who died in the crash.
Remembering the crash when it happened
Houle said he was just nine years old when the crash happened in 1973.
"I just remember it vividly. I remember following Leo Chouinard's struggles in the newspaper. Never did I ever forget his name," he said.
The author spent five years writing and getting the book published.
"What I want them to know is that, you know, there are people that were lost on this flight. They were parents, kids, grandparents, kids, aunts, uncles, cousins. All of them have a story."
Afterward
After the crash, improvements were made to better communication between air traffic controllers in the tower who have different jobs, Houle said.
"Sometimes there's a lack of communication. That affected the response on this crash," he said.
Rules and policies have been put into place to alleviate that.
The flight directors are also made better now, Houle said.