(Credit: Lansdale Historical Society)
From a lightning strike that downed a Pan Am jet near Elkton to a jet crash at a Horsham day camp, the year brought heartbreak close to home
(The following is shared from the Lansdale Historical Society's Facebook page)
Mention the events of 1963 and the first thought that comes to mind is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, but there were other tragic happenings that struck closer to home that year.
One of them was the horrific Pan Am 707 jet crash that claimed 81 lives – everyone on board – on Dec. 8, in a field east of Elkton, MD on the Delaware state border. The plane was on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico with a stopover at Baltimore’s Friendship Airport before taking off again that evening for its ultimate destination, Philadelphia International Airport.
After dropping off many of its passengers in Baltimore, the remaining 73 with a crew of eight headed on to Philly, but the plane was placed in a holding pattern because of bad weather around PIA.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed down, striking one of the plane’s wings which led to an explosion that sent the jet crashing into a cornfield in blazing pieces. None of its occupants had a chance.
Two of them were Mary Lou (Gehman) Groff of Telford and her infant son, Taric. She was returning home for the holidays from Puerto Rico where her husband, Gerald, was a U.S. Government-employed teacher. Her story appears in the attached Reporter clipping.
(Credit: Lansdale Historical Society)
(Credit: Lansdale Historical Society)I apologize for not having the continuation of the main story at hand but you can see that many victims came from our region since the plane’s final destination was Philly.
Back in Elkton, residents who were around in 1963 still remember that horrible night although the only physical reminder is a small memorial stone placed at the entrance to a housing subdivision that long ago replaced the cornfield.
(Credit: Lansdale Historical Society)In July, 1963, yet another horrific tragedy took place closer to home when a pilotless jet headed for the Willow Grove Naval Air Station plowed into the Green Hill Day Camp in Horsham.
Seven persons, four of them children, who were attending a private picnic, were killed. The camp was operated by Bob Gould, Lansdale Catholic football coach.
