June 3, 1962 - One hundred thirty persons were killed today when an Air France Boeing 707 jet crashed and burned while taking off for New York from Orly Airport in France. The only survivors were two stewardesses. A steward was found alive in the wreckage, but he died 10 hours later. It was the worst disaster involving a single airplane in the history of aviation. All of the victims except seven crew members and one passenger were Americans, and most of these were from Atlanta. A group of 121 had come to Europe on an art-appreciation tour sponsored by the Atlanta Art Association and had chartered the plane for the return flight to New York and Atlanta.
Comments