Sterling Place Plane Crash
July 24, 2007 by karen
A colleague was asking about our new place the other day and told me about a plane crash that happened right behind our apartment in 1960. He said up until last year nothing resided at the site of the crash, not even a memorial. I checked it out when I got home that night and sure enough, our backyard is steps away from the site of the crash. Now you’ll find a brand new condo building in its place.
Sterling Place and 7th Avenue on the day of the crash
From about.com on the crash:
On Friday, December 16, 1960, a cold, gray morning, a United Airlines DC-8 originating in Chicago and a TWA Super Constellation, outbound from Columbus, collided above Staten Island. The TWA flight crashed at Miller Field, in the New Dorp section of Staten Island. Fortunately no one on the ground was injured there. The United flight plunged into Park Slope’s Sterling Place, near Seventh Avenue, killing five people on the ground. In all, 135 people perished in what was the worst air disaster of its day.
The United flight narrowly missed the now defunct St. Augustine’s Academy (Sterling Place near Sixth Avenue) which was filled with school children, then hit a brownstone (126 Sterling Pl) before careening into the ironically-named Pillar of Fire church (at 123 Sterling Pl), destroying it completely. Wallace E. Lewis, a 90-year old caretaker was in the church at the time and was one of the five people killed on the ground. According to the New York Times report, the other victims were Charles J. Cooper, who was out shoveling snow, Joseph Colacano and John Opperisano, who were selling Christmas trees on the Sterling Place sidewalk, and Jacob Crooks who was walking his dog.
This was the first I heard about the crash and there seems to be little information about it online. Maybe a memorial wouldn’t be a bad idea?
Tags: brooklyn
Posted in New York
July 25th, 2007 at 11:27 am
i love history.interesting post Karen…link to more pictures: http://www.airdisaster.com/photos/ua826/photo.shtml
July 25th, 2007 at 11:44 am
one more time…it looks like this guy wrote a book about it: http://www.midair-collision-over-newyork.com
July 25th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
Thanks, Nuti! Some of those photos are incredible.
December 17th, 2007 at 1:19 am
I was 6 at the Time of the Crash. I was however a witness to most of what was going on. My House had a view that encompassed most of the area where the Plane came down on Staten Island. I remember it vividly.
March 17th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
DJ Donnelly Productions Ltd in association with Affiliated Studios are in pre productions of this plane crash for a major motion picture due to go into productions in early 2009. The films screenwriter, Sandra Wallace after extensive reseraching, government reports, news reels, has created a motion picture screenplay that shall bring all 134 victims back to life in MAYDAY NEW YORK(c). Film Memorials are planned by DJ Donnelly Productions Ltd for all 134 victims and their families to visit, te memorials are now in development.
MAYDAY NEW YORK (c)
From DJ Donnelly Productions Ltd
End:
Barbara Fellen
DJ DONNELLY PRODUCTIONS LTD
http://www.djdonnellyproductions.com
djdonnellyprod@peoplepc.com
June 29th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I would like to say that DJ Donnelly Productions are a fake,,,,i believe that this guy who wrote this book years back Mr. Garcia is the one who should come out with this movie he was a witness to this tragical accident.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I agree with Poppy416
Where is Mr. Garcia, whey hasn’t DJ involved him in the picture?
I smell a crook
August 24th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Checked out http://www.midair-collision-over-newyork.com.
AWESOME. great writing
August 27th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
The book “Sterling Place” bought chills down my spine.
I hope the movie “Mayday New York” is as good as the book. I doubt it.
October 5th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
do you know if this school was Sterling Industrial School. back in the late 1800’s a early 1900’s
December 8th, 2008 at 12:47 am
I found out tonight that Wallace E. Lewis (the 90 year old care-taker of the Pillar of Fire Church) was my great great uncle. He was one of the five that were killed on the ground. (That’s my grandfather’s mother’s brother; or, my paternal grandfather’s maternal uncle)
I find this bit of national and family history very interesting. Thanks for blogging it!
I must find out more.
December 16th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I remember that day, I was working in Manhattan and it came over on a radio bulletin, I also thought about it today! Dec. 16TH 2008, because a co-worker was on the phone and mentioned Sterling place, to a friend. As i looked out the window it was snowing and gloomy just like it was that day. Isn’t that a wild coincedence?
December 25th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Charles J Cooper, who was shoveling snow,worked for the Sanitation Dept. When he was killed he left 3 small children, one of them , John, was my best friend. A memorial wouldn’t be too much too ask for.