East Carolina University - Buccaneer Tecoan Yearbook (Greenville, NC)

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l Americans Set Aviation History An enormous silvery balloon appeared over the skies of France during August, as three Americans from New Mexico made history by being the first to cross the Atlantic in a balloon. The helium-filled balloon finally landed in a wheat field in the village of Miserey, 50 miles west of Paris. By then, hundreds ople had arrived to welcome the to France. Upon arriving, the popped the cork from a bottle of and began toasting their and each other. Their -of pe 3,100-mile-historic trip from Presque Isle, Maine to Miserey lasted over 5M days. The Albuquerque Three had openly modeled their trip after Charles Lind- bergh's famous airplane flight of May 1927. They named their craft the Lone Eagle II in his honor, and had wanted to land at Le Bourget, where Lindy himself touched down. Though they fell 60 miles short of their goal, they got a welcome reminiscent of the tumultuous greeting that Lindbergh received. Obituaries Morris fthe Catj - July 7, 1978 - Fin- icky star of over 40 television commercials, of cardiac problems associated with old age. Fields, Totie - Aug. 2, 1978 - Talk show comedian who staged a comeback to night-club circuit following amputation of her left leg in 1976, of a heart attack, in Las Vegas. Paul VI - Aug. 6, 1978 - Supreme Pon- tiff of the Roman Catholic Church, of a heart attack in Rome, after a 15-year reign. fSee page 20.l Fontaine, Frank - Aug. 8, 1978 - Comedian known as Crazy Guggenhamf' who was a zany second banana to Jackie Gleason in the 1960's, of a heart attack. Prima, Louis - Aug. 8, 1978 - Jazz trumpeter and gravel-voiced singer and bandleader, after lingering in a coma for 3 years, in New Orleans. Kenyatta, Jomo - Aug. 22, 1978 - President of the Republic of Kenya, who led his country to independence and a moder- ately prosperous African Socialism, in his sleep at a beach resthouse in Mombasa, Ke- nya. Shaw, Robert - Aug. 28, 1978 - Actor and author of five novels who had numerous television appearances, in Tourmakeady, Ireland. Warner, Jack - Sept. 9, 1978 - Motion picture producer and the last of the four Warner Brothers who pioneered in produc- tion, distribution, and exhibition of films. Messerschmitt, Willy - Sept. 15, 1978 - German aircraft pioneer who developed German fighting planes of World War II, in West Germany, after major surgery. Bostock, Lyman - Sept. 23, 1978 - Star California Angel outfielder, of a gun- shot wound, in Gary, IN. When he died, he was hitting .296, ninth among American League batters. John Paul I - Sept. 28, 1978 - 263rd Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church whose reign lasted only 33 days, of a heart attack, in Vatican City. fSee page 20.1 Bergen, Edgar - Sept. 30, 1978 - America's top ventriloquist and creator of Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and oth- ers, in his sleep, in Las Vegas. Newsline f 3 1

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30fNewsline Deaths, Disasters Debacles and Daredevil San Diego Plane Crash Worst In US Histor The hellish orange flames and black smoke that rose quickly into San Diego's morning skies on September 26, 1978 signalled the worst air tragedy in U.S. aviation history, as more than 150 people lost their lives. The deaths included all 135 people aboard Pacific Southwest Air- lines' Boeing 727, the two occupants of a tiny Cessna 172 that collided with it, and at least 13 people on the ground who were struck with flaming debris. The collision dramatized the haphazard nature of mid-air collisions. The evidence collected by the more than 100 Federal Avaition Administration investigators in- dicated that both the veteran pilots were following proper safety procedures, and that air traffic controllers had alerted both pilots of their dangerous proximity - and yet they still collided. , The airliner, descending for a landing, overtook the small, ascending Cessna and flipped it against the airliner's lowered right wing. Both planes burst into flames and plunged to the ground. On the ground, chaos spread through the quiet residential areas in which the planes plunged to earth. The bulk of the airliner smashed into houses, causing blazes that burned for two hours. The devastation on the ground sparked renewed controversy in San Diego over such a busy airport's being situated in a heavily populated area, and over the FAA's delaying of use of an electronic system to warn pilots of im- pending collisions. The disaster showed that the element of mere chance in course, speed, and timing can still doom even the most ex- perienced pilots and their passengers to innocent deaths, like the victims who died over San Diego. Picture A: A flaming Pacific Southwest Airlines Boeing 727 plunges toward the ground, moments before crashing into a residential area of San Diego, Cal. B: The Lone Eagle II reflects the sun as it crosses the French Coast near Le Havre in the first successful trans-Atlantic balloon crossing. ' ' 'TTT' T 'f7 T ' , -. . .we -. -. - V Kucinich Survives, City's Fate Unknown Cleveland's mayor Dennis Kucinich barely survived a recall vote in August, but the city itself still faced a tough fight for survival. The recall was organized by Kucinich's enemies who challenged his firing of a popular police chief. He was also under fire for two brief police strikes, a walkout by city mechanics, 23 vetoes of city legis- lation and continued struggles by the city to meet its financial obligations. Kucinich won by a slim 236-vote mar- gin given him by his only supporters, the white working-class ethnics. He may have survived himself, but his city still faced enormous problems, including raising enough money to pay off long term notes due in December, shoring-up city services, and a controversy over sale of the municipal power compan which Kucinich refused to allow. His victory did not end his politic problems, either, as he made enemies both Republican leaders and heads of h own Democratic Party, members of black community, the majority of the council, and leaders of the Te Union and local AFL-CIO. The made changes in his staff and pledged forget the past and try to work with city leaders to restore public in the city's government and to default later in the year. S

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