Dec. 1, 1962 - An airliner carrying 51 persons crashed and burned while landing in heavy fog last night at New York’s Idlewild Airport. Twenty-five persons were killed, and another was still missing early today. There were 25 survivors, some of whom were injured. The plane, an Eastern Air Lines DC-7B, was coming in at 9:45 p.m. from Charlotte, N.C. It was approaching the eastern end of the field when it suddenly veered from the runway, about 50 feet above the ground. A wing struck the ground, and the propellor-driven plane hurtled across a reed-filled marsh and smashed into soft sand about 200 yards from the concrete runway. It immediately burst into flames. Emergency equipment at the airport began to move toward the scene, but the vehicles were hampered by the thick fog, sand, and mud. The first rescue workers sloshed ankle-deep through the chemical foam used to fight the fire. The fire was still burning and bodies were still being taken from the wreckage at 11:30 p.m., 28 minutes before the blaze was declared under control.
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