Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Presents Captain Richard Kenin USCG & Captain Al Haynes With N310EA Survivor Signed Prints

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Ron Infantino makes a few remarks and comments as he speaks about the significant of the special art work rendered to both Captain Kenin and Captain Haynes

Shown with Coast Guard Air Station Miami, Florida Commanding Office, Captain Richard Kenin are Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Support Members Benny Benitez and Catherine Smallwood, who presented Captain Kenin with a survivor signed 16 X 20 digital print of Eastern L-1011, N310EA created by Catherine Smallwood and the Digital Aircraft Factory
Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Support Member Catherine Smallwood presents here creation of Eastern Airlines L-1011 N310EA to Captain Al Haynes in appreciation for the "Ultimate" application of CRM
The start CRM started with the crash of EAL L-1011, N310EA and the Ultimate in CRM with UAL Flt 232 DC-10, N1819U is the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group shown with Captain Al Haynes of United Airlines Flight 232 accompany by an official of the local Civil Air Patrol

Miami, Florida 5th January 2010: In appreciation for their consideration and time, the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group presented both Captain Richard Kenin, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Air Station Miami and Captain Al Haynes of United Airlines Flight 232 with survivor signed prints of Flight 401 aircraft, Eastern L-1011, N310EA.

The art work was digitally created by the Digital Aircraft Factory a subsidiary of the Miami based 94th AeroClaims-Aviation Consultant Group. Under the technical and creative leadership of Digital Aircraft Factory Chief Aviation Artist Catherine Smallwood, N310EA was created down to its last detail utilizing Hollywood grade special effect software commonly seen in today movies to create the impossible.

Both Captain Kenin and Captain Haynes were pleased with such a special gift that commemorated the event.

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 The Start of CRM, United Airlines Flight 232 The Ultimate In CRM

The survivors of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 shown from left to right: Ron Infantino (surviving passenger), Patty McQuigg, Mercy Ruiz and Beverly Raposa (surviving flight attendants) with Captain Al Haynes of United Airlines Flight 232

Eastern Airlines Flight 401, L-1011, N310EA crashed on 29th December 1972, the crash that established Crew Resourse Management (CRM) and established an industry standard
United Airlines Flight 232, DC-10, N1819U crashed on 19th July 1989, the ultimate application In Crew Resource Management (CRM) that resulted in 185 surviving the crash from a total passenger and crew compliment of 296 souls

Miami, Florida 5th January 2010: The ability of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute to have spoken about their experience to the air and ground crews at the 2010 Coast Guard Air Station Miami Safety Stand Up was owed to the consideration and kindness of Captain Richard Kenin Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Miami.

This opportunity gave the Eastern Airline Flight 401 Tribute Group the chance to meet an aviation professional who benefited from the lost of Eastern 401. On 19th July 1989 while acting as pilot in command of United Airlines DC-10, N1819U as flight 232 Captain Al Haynes and his crew were able to have 111 passengers from 296 onboard when the stricken aircraft crashed into Sioux City Iowa after sustaining a catastrophic number uncontained engine failure.

As the motto invokes, Eastern Airlines Flight 401 The Heritage of CRM, Captain Al Haynes on 19th July 1989, while pilot in command of N1819U on Flight 232 became the ultimate in applying what was started by the lost of Eastern Flight 401, Crew Resource Management.

Ironically, these two aviation lost established what could be called the commencement of CRM in the lost of Eastern 401 and the ultimate in CRM with United 232.

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Meets Captain Al Haynes United Airlines Flt 232 Sioux City Iowa 1989 DC-10 N1819U Crash

Captain Al Haynes speaks with USCG Lieutenants Paul Lalicata and Aaron Ortenzio Both Lt. Lalicata and Ortenzio act as Coast Guard Airstation Miami Rotary and Fixed Wing Flight Safety Officers
Captain Al Haynes enjoys a laugh with EAL 401 Flight Attendants Beverly Raposa (center) and Mercy Ruiz, as they share the special bond of surviving the crash of a widebody commercial aircraft
United Airlines Flight 232 Captain Al Haynes greets EAL Flt 401 Flight Attendant Mercy Ruiz, as EAL Flt 401 surviving passenger looks on
The Start of CRM and the ultimate in CRM, as Captain Al Haynes from UAL Flt 232 warmly greets Ron Infantino, surviving passenger from EAL Flt 401, as Captain Richard Kenin, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Air Station Miami looks on and who was responsible for bringing these two men together

Miami, Florida 5th January 2010: In a twist of event in the scheduling of attending speakers at the Coast Guard Air Station Miami annual "Safety Stand-Up" The member of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group "The Heritage of CRM" had the honor to meet Captain Al Haynes, the pilot in command of the 1989 United Airlines Flight 232, DC-10, N1819U, Souix City Iowa crash.

In what to date is consider the "Ultimate in CRM" Eastern 401 Tribute Group members all had the pleasure and opportunity to meet Captain Al Haynes. In sharing their experience on is amazed as to the difference between both crashes. Basically, the whole knew that United Flt 232 was in trouble and that the outcome into Souix City was highly probable of a crash. The forewarning had an army of rescuers awaiting the aircraft pretty much like a baseball catcher awaiting for his pitcher to throw the ball right into his glove. Also back on the aircraft Captain Al Haynes has the advantage of CRM long learned and taught since it inception back in 1973 after the NASA post EAL Flt 401 crash report.

Turn the clock back seventeen (17) years and Eastern Flight had no one positive thing going for them as with United 232. No day light!, No awaiting rescuers, No on board cabin flashlights, No alerted crews to CRM and the list goes on and on and yet with us today are our friend and colleague who make up the group and advocate the important of CRM.

The above picture captures the moment with Ron Infantino, survivor of EAL Flt 401 greeting for the first time Captain Al Haynes of UAL Flt 232, CRM come full circle.

A worth note to be made as special thanks goes out to Captain Richard Kenin, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Air Station Miami who made this event in aviation possible! Bravo Zulu!

Eastern Airline Flight 401 Tribute Group Lectures to Aircrews at Coast Guard Air Station Miami

A grateful audience gives a standing ovation to the member of the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute as they concluded their one hour presentation on their experience on that faithful night on 29th December 1972 and what their lost gave to the gain of the aviation community and the flying public

The audience at the U.S. Coast Guard 2010 Safety Stand Up consisted of Coast Guard, Local, State and Federal Aviation Law Enforcement aircrews

Eastern Airlines Support Member Benny Benitez speaks to the audience and informs them of the technical attribute of the L-1011 / N310EA

Captain Richard Kenin, Coast Guard Air Station Miami Commanding Office speaks with Ron Infantino, surviving passenger Eastern Airlines Flight 401 prior to speaking to an audience of over 200 U.S. Coast Guard and Law Enforcement aircrew at the Station Safety Stand Up event
U.S. Coast Guard Aviator Lt. Donvan Burns speaks with Mercy Ruiz about here experience during the post crash of Flight 401

Back in 1972, Coast Guard Air Station Miami main Rotary platform was the Sikorsky HH-52 "Sea Guard" now should the call ever again come to rescue passenger from a stricken crashed commercial aircraft within the Everglades, the Station is equipped with the state of art EADS Dauphin HH-65 Rescue Helicopter
Aside of the Air Station Rotary wing capability, Coast Guard Air Station Miami is equipped with the Dassualt HH-25U Falcon Jet. The HU-25 are numbered as they will soon be replaced by the Casa 235 twin engine Turbo Prop aircraft to be called by the Coast Guard as the HC-114

Miami, Florida 5th January 2010: In what is being consider the culmination of a solid year of working and building the Eastern Airline Flight 401 Tribute Group, the had a proud high light in being invited by Captain Kenin, the Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Air Station Miami to lecture of their post crash experience to his aircrews and visiting Federal, State and Local law enforcement aircrews.

This marked the 4th public presentation that Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group has done to share and inform the public about the industry changing crash of 29th December 1972 since their focused efforts started a year ago to the date.

Aside from Captain Kenin, the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group would wish to thank the following U.S. Coast Guard Flight Safety Office at Coast Guard Air Stattion Miami who made the event possible in working with them to hone the presentation to the most added value to their crews. We at the Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group extended our thanks and a "Bravo Zulu" to LCDR Daniel Duetermann, Lt. Paul Lalicata and Lt. Aron Ortenzio whose efforts and coordination made the event possible.

Eastern Airline Flight 401 Tribute Group with More TV Appearances

Airing about two weeks before our 37th Anniversary, northern Florida was treated to a three part series by Cristina Xuarez, finishing her final year at University of Florida in Gainesville. As one of her final stories before graduation with honors, she came to Florida and spent time with us and even traveled to the site of the accident with us by airboat to get footage for her stories.

The stories originally aired the week ending December 19 and are now available as part of the online archive of WUFT News. Cristina is an outstanding reporter and did a great job putting together these news packages about the group and our goals and we appreciate the time and effort she put into them to help get our story out.

Click Here to watch the three part series on Eastern Flight 401 by Cristina Xuarez!

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Memorial

The recent news buzz about the group has created a lot of interest in having some images of how the 401 Tribute will look once completed. To this end we are posting some renderings of the 401 Tribute that is proposed to be constructed in the Everglades and will be available to visit by airboat and visible from aircraft overflying the site.The design of the structure is by Brockhouse Associates PA here in Miami Florida, with the renderings by Digital Aircraft Factory, also headquartered here in Miami, FL.

The three renderings show how the basic design would appear and changes that we come up with can be added in the future. We are currently working on a re-design of the smaller mini-museum and images will be shown as soon as they are available. Additional views of the Everglades site will also be available as they are completed.

We would like to personally thank all of our donors for their help and support to make this possible and we request any help we can get in making these Tributes come to life.

Thank you all!

Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Makes National News

Yesterday was exciting for the Eastern Flight 401 Tribute Group. With a huge thank you to Luisa Yanez of the Miami Herald, the word about our gathering to mark the 37th Anniversary of the crash yesterday went from a simple plan to get together and share with locals and to spend time together finishing the day with a nice dinner with our family and friends turned into a wonderful surprise as suddenly we found ourselves in the spotlight with both national attention from the NBC Today Show to many local news outlets including stories in the Miami Herald, Sun-Sentinel and on several TV stations including the local Fox Station WSVN and the NBC affiliate here, NBC Miami. Below are links to the stories and videos of our day yesterday.

TV/Videos
Today Show: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891#34629551
NBC Miami: http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Plane-Crash-Survivors-Reunite-80288617.html
WSVN Fox: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI139861/

Newspaper Articles
Miami Herald: http://pd.miami.com/sp?aff=1100&keywords=flight+401&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
Sun Sentinel: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-flight-401-anniversary-122909,0,533536.story