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| Ceremonies mark anniversary of deadly Newfoundland air crash |
| 2005-12-12 |
| Twenty years to the day, crews who had searched in vain for survivors of the Arrow Air crash came to a church in Newfoundland Monday to remember those who perished in the worst aviation disaster on Canadian soil. On Dec. 12, 1985, the chartered Arrow Air DC-8 crashed less than a minute after taking off from a refuelling stop in Gander, killing all 256 people on board, including 248 U.S. peacekeepers returning from duty in Egypt. "It seems like yesterday. The hurt is still there," said Maj. Alexander Conyers, who lost a cousin and friend in the crash. "The memories linger on, and we miss them and we love them." Similar ceremonies were also held Monday in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where the 101st Airborne Division was based. The troops had been heading home for a Christmas vacation. [...]In the years that followed, some evidence was disclosed, including autopsy reports which showed that soldiers had inhaled smoke in the moments before they died, indicating there had been a fire on board before the jet hit the ground. Les Filotas was one of the four members who filed a minority report, and later wrote a book called Improbable Cause, which suggested other causes – particularly an explosion – may have been responsible. |
| Posted by:Rafael |