1 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: In late nineteen seventy one, at a lovingly kept home 2 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:17,840 Speaker 1: in the western suburbs of Miami, Florida, the phone rang. 3 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: Forty nine year old Alice Repo, who shared the house 4 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: with her husband, Don and their children, answered the call. 5 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: It was her husband calling from Miami International Airport. Second 6 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: Officer Donald Repot was a flight engineer for Eastern Airlines 7 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: whose job it was to monitor and operate aircraft operating systems. 8 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,680 Speaker 1: It was a complex and demanding job that, by its 9 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: very nature, required Don to make countless flights throughout the year, 10 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: no matter how many times he reassured his wife how 11 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: safe it was. Alice never tired of receiving these calls, 12 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: and the relief you felt at hearing the sound of 13 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: his voice again telling her he just landed and would 14 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: be home soon after. The pair exchanged goodbyes. Alice had 15 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: just placed the receiver back in its holder when the 16 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: phone rang again. Hello, she said, assuming it to be 17 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: done again, having perhaps forgotten to tell her something. Then 18 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:29,119 Speaker 1: a strange voice came on the line. Dawn has been 19 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:34,320 Speaker 1: killed in a plane crash. Hello, replied, as stunned Alice, 20 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 1: who is this? But the line went dead when Don 21 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: arrived home a short time later. The two of them 22 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: tried to wrap their heads around what had happened. Perhaps 23 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: it was a colleague playing a deeply unfunny joke, thought Alice. 24 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: But Don couldn't think, for the life of him who 25 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: would do such a thing. It was just over a 26 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: year later, in the evening of December twenty ninth, nineteen 27 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: seventy two, the Talis received another of Don's reassuring calls. 28 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: This time he was calling from JFK Airport in New York. 29 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: Don's next flight, Eastern Airlines Flight four oh one from 30 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: JFK to Miami, would be taking off shortly. With all 31 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: things going to plan, he said he'd be back home 32 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: around midnight. It had just gone eight pm when Don 33 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: made his way into the cockpit of the L ten 34 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: eleven TriStar to begin his preflight checks alongside fifty five 35 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: year old Captain Bob Loft and his thirty nine year 36 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,799 Speaker 1: old co pilot, First Officer Albert stock Still with over 37 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: thirty thousand hours of flying time under his belt, Captain 38 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: Loft was one of the more experienced pilots at Eastern, 39 00:03:00,560 --> 00:03:03,959 Speaker 1: while the plane by comparison number three hundred and ten 40 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: of the TriStar fleet was relatively new, having completed its 41 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: first commercial flight only three months previously. Joining the flight 42 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: deck crew in the cockpit that night was Angelo Donnadeo, 43 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,679 Speaker 1: a technical specialist for the L ten eleven. Donnadeo was 44 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: not working that night, however, but simply hitching a ride 45 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: back to Miami. As the men completed their checks, a 46 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: steady stream of passengers began to board the plane, while 47 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: the ten flight attendants that completed the plane's crew guided 48 00:03:38,880 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: them on to their seats. Two attendants, twenty four year 49 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: old Stephanie Stanitch and twenty seven year old Patricia Geisel's, 50 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: part of a close knit team, worked the back of 51 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: the plaine, smiling warmly at the passengers as they arrived. 52 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 1: In a photograph taken just before their flight up from Miami, 53 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: as nine of the women posed happily together while the 54 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: other took the photo, their fondness for each other can 55 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: easily be seen in their relaxed and cheery demeanors. Dave 56 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 1: and joke among themselves, with one squeezing Stephanie's neck in 57 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,159 Speaker 1: a mock choking gesture while Stephanie pulls a funny face 58 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 1: and another puts bunny ears behind Patricia's head, strangely marking 59 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: them out among their peers. Among the passengers being guided 60 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: to their seat by Stephanie and Patricia was Rosario Messina, 61 00:04:36,240 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: a forty six year old tailor currently on vacation with 62 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: his family in Florida, who had been called back to 63 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 1: New York suddenly for a business trip. Shortly before leaving 64 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: the family, Rosario had a terrible premonition, telling his wife 65 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: Sadie afterwards that he was certain he was going to 66 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: die young, and that he didn't want to leave her. 67 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: He'd planned anitia to fly from LaGuardia Airport, but changed 68 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: his ticket at the last minute to a non stop 69 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: flight from JFK so he could be back with his 70 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: family sooner. At just after ten past nine pm, with 71 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: all the passengers settled and the pilots ready to go, 72 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: the flight attendants took their places and the jump seats, 73 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: and the plane slowly taxied over to the runway. At 74 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 1: nine twenty pm, Captain Loft eased forward on the throttle 75 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 1: and the plane took off into the air. You're listening 76 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: to Unexplained and I'm Richard McClean smith. It was roughly 77 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: three hours after taking off from JFK Airport with flight 78 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: four oh one on its approach to Miami International that 79 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: Captain Loft instructed First Officer stock Still to lower the 80 00:05:58,880 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: landing gear. Despite stock Still then affirming the gear had 81 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: been lowered, only two of the three landing gear lights 82 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: on the control board had turned green, suggesting the landing 83 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: gear in the nose had failed to come down. More 84 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 1: often than not, such an issue was nothing more than 85 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: a faulty light, easily resolved by checking the desk, and 86 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: even in the worst case scenario, if the wheels had 87 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: failed to lower properly, they could be simply engaged manually, 88 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,960 Speaker 1: and so it was with little fanfare the Captain Loft 89 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: announced to air traffic control that they be taking the 90 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: plane round again while they tried to resolve the issue, 91 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:46,480 Speaker 1: after which Doc Still engaged the auto pilot to maintain 92 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: a steady altitude of two thousand feet while he and 93 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: Loft got to work examining the control desk. In the meantime, 94 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,600 Speaker 1: Second Officer Don Repo was sent into the small compartment 95 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:03,359 Speaker 1: below the cockpit, known with no great affection as the 96 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: hell hole, to see if he could confirm visually whether 97 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: the wheels had come down or not. As the plane 98 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: veered away from Miami, it headed west over Chrome Avenue 99 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: at the far edge of the city, and out over 100 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 1: the vast expanse of Florida's Everglades, a murky swamp of 101 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:29,080 Speaker 1: shallow waters saw grass and mud, with all pitch black 102 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: below them. It was to the pilots as though they 103 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,480 Speaker 1: were shooting straight out into space, with only the twinkling 104 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: stars on the horizon and above them to distinguish between 105 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: heaven and Earth. While Dawn was in the underfloor compartment, 106 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: a short chime rang out from a tiny speaker, which, 107 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:52,559 Speaker 1: if you hadn't been off his seat at the time, 108 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,400 Speaker 1: he would have heard in his left ear. But since 109 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 1: he wasn't at his seat, this underwhelming alarm, announcing that 110 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: the plane had for some inexplicable reason, been steadily dropping 111 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: from its supposed two thousand feet setting, went completely unnoticed. 112 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: As don struggled to confirm if the wheels were down 113 00:08:15,920 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: or not, Angelo Donnedeo squeezed into the tiny hellhole compartment 114 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: to help him. Before long, however, Captain Loft and first 115 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: Officer Stock still concluded that the wheels had lowered after all, 116 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: and promptly informed Miami air Traffic Control they were now 117 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: ready to land at eleven forty two p m. Stock 118 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: still ease left on the control stick to begin turning 119 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: the plane around, when with a fierce, sickening rush, he 120 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: sensed something almost imperceptible but unmistakably solid in the darkness below, 121 00:08:55,240 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: rushing up toward them. Inside Miami International Airport, friends and 122 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: family waited expectantly for the arrival of flight four O. 123 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: One among them was Sadie Messina, wife of Rosaria, the 124 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: passenger who'd been forced to take a business trip in 125 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: the middle of their vacation. As she stood staring up 126 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: at the arrival's board, she turned suddenly at the sound 127 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: of her husband whistling, a familiar tune he was fond of. 128 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:37,959 Speaker 1: But her husband was nowhere to be seen. Out in 129 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: the darkness of the Everglades. About five miles west of 130 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 1: Miami Airport, local resident Bob Marquis was perched high up 131 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:50,440 Speaker 1: on the seat of his flat bottomed airboat, with only 132 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: the faintest of light shining from his head lamp to 133 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: guide him. Marquis had been out hunting for frogs when 134 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,920 Speaker 1: he looked over to the west toward the horizon and 135 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: saw an explosive eruption of orange light, which blazed for 136 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: a moment before vanishing in the darkness. Marquis cut the 137 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:15,080 Speaker 1: engine and brought the boat to a stop. In the 138 00:10:15,120 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: tranquil night air, all about was silent, save for the 139 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: occasional croaking of frogs and the chitter of insects. Bob 140 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: turned to the east toward the bright lights of Miami, 141 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: easily discernible under the night sky, then back toward the 142 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,679 Speaker 1: pitch blackness opposite to where the flash of light had 143 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: come from, then cracked up his engine again and headed 144 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: out toward it. When Bob cut his engine a few 145 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: minutes later, among the chorus of frogs, he could just 146 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:55,199 Speaker 1: about make out the distant wail and cries of desperate 147 00:10:55,320 --> 00:11:00,680 Speaker 1: human beings powering on a little further. Bob cut the 148 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: engine again and heard immediately those same cries, only much 149 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: closer and louder. Now then he realized they were calling 150 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: out to him. He turned his head to light the 151 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:19,679 Speaker 1: waters around him, illuminating great jagged shards of metal jutting 152 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: out at the swamp, and then a face peered back 153 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,640 Speaker 1: at him from out of the saw grass. A man 154 00:11:27,040 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: choking and crying in pain as he fought desperately to 155 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: keep his blood soaked head above the water. Bob hurriedly 156 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: launched himself from the boat and pulled the man up 157 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: onto it, despite it being just over a foot deep. 158 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: He'd been so badly injured he was struggling to hold 159 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: himself up. Then Bob looked up and saw finally the 160 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: smashed wreckage of the Plain's fuselage and the copious number 161 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: of bodies littered about, some still strapped to their seats, 162 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: sitting lifeless in the water under the stars. My God, 163 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: said Bob. Alice Repo awoke in confusion at four am 164 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: to find her son John standing over her on the 165 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 1: other side of her bed, completely empty. Then John explained 166 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 1: to her what had happened. Miraculously, Dawn had survived the 167 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: crash and was taken to Miami's highly a hospital, where 168 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: he was joined a few hours later by Alice and 169 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: their children. When Alice arrived, Dawn was conscious and recognized 170 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: her instantly as she struggled to contain herself at the 171 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: sight of him, heavily bandaged up, as an array of 172 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: machines monitored his body's vital signs. At first it seemed 173 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: Dawn would be one of the lucky ones, but over 174 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: the next twenty four hours things deteriorated rapidly, with Alice 175 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: and the children forced to sit it out in the 176 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: waiting room. The medical teams did all they could to 177 00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: save him, but it was to no avail. Roughly thirty 178 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: hours after he was poured from the wreckage, second Officer 179 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: Donald Repot, succumbed to his injuries. That morning, the family, 180 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: still in complete shock, arrived back at Alice and Don's home, 181 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: where Alice's mother was now staying for support. Not long 182 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: after they got in a commotion was heard in the kitchen. 183 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: Roughly thirty birds had somehow broken into the screened patio 184 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: and were fluttering around in a chaotic scene. Over the years, 185 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: the odd one or two birds had got trapped in sight, 186 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,840 Speaker 1: but never anything like this. Birds were a great passion 187 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: of Dons, who'd enjoyed nothing more than watching them feed 188 00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:06,439 Speaker 1: in their garden. As he drank his morning coffee, Alice 189 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: stood watching them whipping around the patio as the thought 190 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: of Dawn flooded her mind. Then one by one they 191 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: inched out of a tiny gap in the screen and 192 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: flew back into the garden and up into the sky. 193 00:14:22,160 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 1: In total, one hundred and one people lost their lives 194 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: in the crash of Flight four oh one, while seventy 195 00:14:29,080 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: five survived, with most sustaining significant injuries. After a lengthy investigation, 196 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: it was found that Captain Bob Loft had most likely 197 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: accidentally disengaged the auto pilot by bumping the gearstick while 198 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 1: trying to reach the faulty light bulb. No one on 199 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,320 Speaker 1: board had any idea that the plane was losing altitude 200 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:57,119 Speaker 1: until it was too late. Among the dead were pilots 201 00:14:57,240 --> 00:15:01,840 Speaker 1: Captain Bob Loft and First Officer but stock Still, as 202 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: well as passenger Rosario Messina and the two flight attendants 203 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: that had stood out so peculiarly in that team photo 204 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: only days before the crash, Patricia Geisel's and Stephanie Stanich. 205 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: In the days that followed the crash, it was reported 206 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: that a figure matching Stephanie Stanich's description was seen stumbling 207 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: away from the wrecked plane and heading off in a 208 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 1: daze out into the darkness of the everglades. Despite the 209 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: fact that Stanich was killed almost immediately on impact, just 210 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: one of the many strange stories that was soon to 211 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 1: emerge in the aftermath of this tragic event. This podcast 212 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: is sponsored by better Help. Is there something interfering with 213 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:58,040 Speaker 1: your happiness or preventing you from achieving your goals? Better 214 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:00,400 Speaker 1: help will assess your needs and match you with your 215 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: own licensed professional therapist. It's not a crisis line or 216 00:16:04,280 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 1: self help. It's professional therapy done securely online with a 217 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: broad range of expertise that may not be locally available 218 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,359 Speaker 1: in many areas. You can log into your account anytime 219 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 1: and send a message to your therapist. You'll get timely 220 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: and thoughtful responses. Plus you can schedule weekly video or 221 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: phone sessions so you won't ever have to see it 222 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: in an uncomfortable waiting room. As with traditional therapy. Better 223 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 1: help is committed to facilitating great therapeutic matches, so they 224 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 1: make it easy and free to change therapists if need it. 225 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: It's more affordable than traditional online therapy, and financial aid 226 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: is also available Better help Once you do start living 227 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: a happier life today, and they have a special offer 228 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:45,440 Speaker 1: for Unexplained listeners, get ten percent off your first month. 229 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:50,200 Speaker 1: Visit betterhelp dot com forward slash Unexplained one zero that's 230 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 1: better help Help and join the over two million people 231 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: who have taken charge of their mental health with the 232 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: help of an experienced professional. That's better help dot Com 233 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: forward slash unexplained one zero. In March nineteen seventy three, 234 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: three months after the fatal crash, another Eastern Airlines L 235 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:18,960 Speaker 1: ten eleven TriStar jet number three hundred and eighteen in 236 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 1: the fleet, was making its way from New York to 237 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:27,159 Speaker 1: Fort Larderdale in Florida. With the passengers meal time approaching, 238 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: one of the flight attendants was asked to assist a 239 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: colleague in heating up the meals down in the plain's galley. 240 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: The galley was a sizeable room located under the passenger 241 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:41,480 Speaker 1: floor of the plain where all the service trolleys were stored. 242 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,880 Speaker 1: It also contained or the ovens and refrigeration units on 243 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:50,719 Speaker 1: one side, and numerous storage compartments on the other. After 244 00:17:50,760 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 1: taking one of the two narrow lifts down into the galley, 245 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 1: the attendant emerged only to find her colleague was no 246 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:03,600 Speaker 1: longer down there. Thinking she'd be back any minute, the 247 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: attendant got on with unwrapping the meals, popping them tray 248 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,919 Speaker 1: by tray into the ovens as the cacophonus hissing drone 249 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: of the engines filled the space. Before long, however, she 250 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 1: felt a strange sensation come over her, the unmistakable feeling 251 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: that she wasn't alone in the room, thinking her colleague 252 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: was playing a trick on her and was in fact 253 00:18:29,160 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: still there hiding out in one of the galleys many 254 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: hidden nooks and crannies. The attendant swiftly spun round and 255 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,800 Speaker 1: pulled open every door she could see, but no one 256 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: was there. A few weeks later, on the same plane, 257 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: another flight attendant was busy working alone in the galley 258 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:54,919 Speaker 1: when the temperature suddenly plummeted. Assuming something was wrong with 259 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:58,960 Speaker 1: the heating system, the flight engineer was promptly called down 260 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: to fix the problem. When he arrived a few minutes later, 261 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: he too felt the extreme chill in the air, but 262 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 1: when he checked the temperature it was almost ninety degrees fahrenheit, 263 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: and so one after another, More and more peculiar stories 264 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:23,520 Speaker 1: began to circulate among Eastern Airline staff concerning strange events 265 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 1: experienced on Plane three hundred and eighteen. Most were just 266 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:33,320 Speaker 1: vague anecdotes about people feeling a little spooted while left 267 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:38,160 Speaker 1: alone in the galley, not surprising, perhaps, considering the events 268 00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:42,760 Speaker 1: of the previous year. It was sometime around six months 269 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 1: after the crash when the same flight attendant who'd searched 270 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 1: for her colleague in the galley's cupboards, was once again 271 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: in the galley of plane number three hundred and eighteen 272 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:57,200 Speaker 1: when she was alleged to have seen a strange, amorphous cloud, 273 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: like a sudden breath in cold air, appear just to 274 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 1: the left of the galley lifts. This cloud was said 275 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: to have grown steadily before coalescing into the shape of 276 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:15,439 Speaker 1: a head, and then a complete face with ears, a nose, 277 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: and eyes, and eventually a pair of glasses, all reminiscent 278 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: of the face of Second Officer Donald Repot. Sometime toward 279 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: the end of nineteen seventy four, Eastern Airlines L ten eleven, 280 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: plane number three hundred and eighteen, was en route to 281 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: Mexico City Airport. Back down in the galley, another flight 282 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: attendant was placing a tray of meals into the oven 283 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,439 Speaker 1: when she screamed at the sight of someone else's face 284 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 1: reflected back at her in the oven glass. Terrified, she 285 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: dashed straight into the serv slift and got up to 286 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 1: the passenger deck as quickly as she could with the attendant, 287 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: who scared to go back down. It was left to 288 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: a colleague to complete the job. But no sooner had 289 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: she started loading up the rest of the meals, she 290 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:18,160 Speaker 1: too recoiled in terror at the sight of an unfamiliar 291 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 1: face reflected again in the oven glass. As word of 292 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 1: the apparition spread around the plane, the flight engineer is 293 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 1: said to have gone down to investigate, only to also 294 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: find himself face to face with the mysterious image, which 295 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:40,400 Speaker 1: he apparently identified as the face of Don Repo. Furthermore, 296 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: as the story goes, Repo then proceeded to warn the 297 00:21:44,480 --> 00:21:48,119 Speaker 1: engineer that a fire was going to break out imminently 298 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 1: in one of the plane's engines. No sooner had this 299 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: message been communicated, one of the plane's engines began to malfunction. 300 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: Though able to land successfully in Mexico City, a special 301 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: ferry team was dispatched from Miami to fly the plane 302 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:10,719 Speaker 1: back on two engines to the US the maintenance. Shortly 303 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 1: after takeoff, however, another engine inexplicably failed, forcing the crew 304 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,359 Speaker 1: to land back in Mexico, from where it was later 305 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:24,919 Speaker 1: fitted with replacement engines. The plane's cockpit voice recorder was 306 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: also apparently replaced two these stories or featured in author 307 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:35,399 Speaker 1: John Fuller's nineteen seventy six book The Ghost of Flight 308 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: four oh one, in which she attempted to verify and 309 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 1: track down the provenance of all the peculiar events that 310 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,720 Speaker 1: were said to have taken place on Eastern Airline flights 311 00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: since the nineteen seventy two crash. Fuller claimed that within 312 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: a year of the incident, there was hardly anyone at 313 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 1: the company who hadn't heard the rumors of strange goings on. 314 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: Many of the stories seemed to originate from Crewe working 315 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: on plane number three hundred and eighteen, although crews on 316 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: other Eastern planes had also apparently reported unusual events. The 317 00:23:11,480 --> 00:23:14,520 Speaker 1: ghost of Don Ripo was often at the center of 318 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,280 Speaker 1: the stories, although many claimed also to have seen the 319 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:21,800 Speaker 1: ghost of Captain Bob Loft, who was said to appear 320 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: suddenly sitting in one of the passenger's seats, only to 321 00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:37,840 Speaker 1: then vanish moments later. During his investigation into the supposed hauntings, 322 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: author John Fuller also raised the possibility that non structural 323 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:47,320 Speaker 1: parts of plane number three hundred and ten, which crashed 324 00:23:47,359 --> 00:23:52,080 Speaker 1: in the Everglades, such as radios, electrics, and even ovens 325 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: had been cannibalized from the wreckage and refitted into other 326 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: planes in the fleet. Could it be he thought that 327 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,119 Speaker 1: something of the event had been absorbed by these repurposed 328 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: pieces and then transferred into their adopted aircraft through a 329 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 1: supposed process called psychometry. After the release of Fuller's book, however, 330 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: Eastern Airlines strenuously denied that any parts of the crashed 331 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:24,840 Speaker 1: aircraft had been reused. Though many were said to be 332 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:29,159 Speaker 1: deeply traumatized by the sighting of Don Repot and Bob Loft, 333 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: it was widely accepted that their presence was benign, with 334 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 1: some suggesting Don's reason for haunting the plane was in 335 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: fact to try and prevent any more of them from crashing. 336 00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 1: Intrigued by this idea, Fuller turned to self described mediums 337 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,840 Speaker 1: Pat and Bud Haze to see if they could help 338 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:55,639 Speaker 1: him find answers directly from the spirit realm. The couple, 339 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,679 Speaker 1: who were founders of the Arthur Ford International Academy of 340 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: me Mediumship based in Miami at the time, essentially a 341 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 1: school for the apparent development of psychical powers, were only 342 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: too glad to help, and so it was that on 343 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:16,280 Speaker 1: one bright morning in nineteen seventy five, a selection of 344 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: the hazes best students, including some as young as ten 345 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 1: to twelve years old, gathered together in a classroom at 346 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: the arthur Ford Academy, with none being told of the 347 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: precise purpose of the session. Twelve envelopes were then passed 348 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: among them. Ten contained pieces of detritus from the wrecked 349 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:41,639 Speaker 1: aircraft that still littered the crash site, while two contained 350 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: dummy artifacts unrelated to the crash. With much of the 351 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,600 Speaker 1: session garnering mixed results, one of the envelopes with a 352 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,000 Speaker 1: piece of wreckage in it was eventually passed to one 353 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:58,360 Speaker 1: thirty year old woman. Fuller watched on as she clutched 354 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:01,520 Speaker 1: the envelope tightly in her hand and then closed her 355 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: eyes and began to breathe deeply. Pat encouraged her from 356 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: the front of the class to just let the energy 357 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: flow from the envelope and concentrate on reaching her meditative state. 358 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:21,440 Speaker 1: When her breathing finally settled, the woman spoke, an airplane 359 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,959 Speaker 1: that lands in water a missing person. Feel as if 360 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: I am close to the airport, I see lights, then 361 00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:33,439 Speaker 1: I don't see them anymore, feel a pain in the 362 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 1: forehead and eyes. There is a very restless spirit at 363 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,880 Speaker 1: the crash site. He will not rest until his mother 364 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,000 Speaker 1: knows that he believes in the spirit of God. Male 365 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:49,919 Speaker 1: voice saying, my mother must stop working so hard, and 366 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 1: she must stop worrying so much. Please tell her not 367 00:26:53,480 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: to cry, I believe. Following on from their sessions at 368 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: the arthur Ford Academy, John Fuller and his research assistant 369 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,880 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Mansioni made the decision to try and contact Don 370 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 1: Ripo directly through a weege aboard. As is later described 371 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: in the book, not only do they apparently make contact 372 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 1: with him, but he also makes a request of them 373 00:27:25,359 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: that they get a message to his wife, Alice. Though 374 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: understandably cautious about contacting her with such an outlandish story, 375 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 1: Fuller none the less took the plunge and wrote her 376 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: a letter introducing himself and explained more about the book 377 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:46,399 Speaker 1: he was working on. As it happened, Alice had just 378 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 1: finished reading another of John Fuller's books that she'd enjoyed 379 00:27:50,400 --> 00:27:53,480 Speaker 1: when she received his letter, and so agreed to meet 380 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 1: with him to hear more. On Sunday, March seventh, nineteen 381 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:02,679 Speaker 1: seventy six, she and her daughter Donna met with Fuller 382 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 1: and MANSIONI at a hotel opposite Miami International Airport, where 383 00:28:07,920 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: the author outlined all their various findings. In return, they 384 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 1: learned more about Don, the loving father and husband who 385 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: was adored for his spontaneous and generous spirit. Both Alice 386 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: and Donna had been mystified by the numerous reports of 387 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:29,639 Speaker 1: Don's ghost being sighted on aircraft, which they'd heard about 388 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:33,480 Speaker 1: a few times before, though they didn't have a particular 389 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 1: opinion on that. It turned out that Alice had a 390 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 1: few stories of her own. There was the strange phone 391 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: call that seemed to predict Don's death a year before 392 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: the accident, and then the baffling incident with the birds 393 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 1: the morning her husband died. One night, she woke up 394 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: and felt a presence lying beside her in bed. Reaching 395 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: over to the empty side, she was certain she felt 396 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:06,880 Speaker 1: Don's hand slip into hers. That night. She laid awake 397 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: for as long as she could, just feeling the weight 398 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: of him beside her, But when she woke the following morning, 399 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: the presents had gone. Alice asked John and Elizabeth about 400 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: the message they'd apparently received from down on the Wigia board. 401 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: As they explained the first two they were unsure about. 402 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 1: One had something to do with mice causing problems in 403 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: a closet, while another was about a jar of pennies 404 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: they'd kept in their son's bedroom. Alice and Donna looked 405 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: wide eyed at each other in response. Alice had only 406 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,760 Speaker 1: just recently resolved an issue with mice who'd made a 407 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: nest in her attic, a space that could only be 408 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:58,280 Speaker 1: reached after going through a large closet. As for the pennies, 409 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 1: as Alice explained, Don used to collect ones with pictures 410 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: of Native Americans on them. Alice had moved them into 411 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:13,040 Speaker 1: her son John's bedroom. The last message to her was 412 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:20,400 Speaker 1: a simple one. Alice Norco Repo, I love you, never forget. 413 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: I love you. Good night. Norko was Alice's maiden name, 414 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: which few people knew. On twenty ninth of December nineteen 415 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 1: seventy six, the four year anniversary of the crash, journalist 416 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: Frederick Tasker wrote a review of John Fuller's book for 417 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 1: Night Newspapers. Speaking to Alice Repo about these extraordinary revelations, 418 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: she confirmed that every part of the book that concerned 419 00:30:52,440 --> 00:31:01,440 Speaker 1: her was accurate as far as she knew. If you 420 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: enjoy unexplained and would like to help support us, You 421 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,360 Speaker 1: can now do so via Patreon. To receive access to 422 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:10,920 Speaker 1: add free episodes, just go to Patron dot com Forward 423 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:16,120 Speaker 1: Slash Unexplained Pod to sign up. Unexplained, the book and audiobook, 424 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: featuring ten stories that have never before been covered on 425 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,800 Speaker 1: the show, is now available to buy worldwide. You can 426 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:27,280 Speaker 1: purchase through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Waterstones, among other bookstores. 427 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: All elements of Unexplained, including the show's music, are produced 428 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: by me Richard McClain smith. Please subscribe and rate the 429 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:37,600 Speaker 1: show wherever you listen to podcasts, and feel free to 430 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: get in touch with any thoughts or ideas regarding the 431 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,959 Speaker 1: stories you've heard on the show. Perhaps you have an 432 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,520 Speaker 1: explanation of your own you'd like to share. You can 433 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,400 Speaker 1: reach us online at Unexplained podcast dot com or Twitter 434 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 1: at Unexplained Pod and Facebook at Facebook dot com. Forward 435 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 1: Slash Unexplained Podcast