People came together on Sunday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the crash of Delta flight 723 at Boston Logan International Airport -- what remains the deadliest airline disaster in New England history.
It was a foggy day on July 31, 1973, when a Delta Airlines flight from Burlington, Vermont, made a stop in Manchester, New Hampshire, before crashing in Boston. The plane was descending through clouds and fog when it hit a seawall, killing all 89 people on board.
"They shut the airport down of course and it was just a day of sadness. It truly was," said Mike Mini, who was servicing aircrafts that day for what is now US Airways.
Fifty years later, friends and loved ones filled the pews at Our Lady of the Airways Chapel inside Logan Airport as they remembered the lives of all those lost.
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A new plaque dedicated to the passengers and crew now hangs inside the airport chapel. It’s all a result of Michelle Brennan’s efforts.
Brennan's father died in that crash when she was just 10 years old. She spent a year and a half tracking down around 200 people connected to the deadly crash, bringing them all together on this solemn anniversary.
“We went through it separately but now we’re able to come together,” Brennan said, remarking that she's spent more years without her dad than with him.
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Even though the deadly crash happened so many years ago, it remains difficult for many to talk about.
“Being in the midst of other individuals who have been through the same loss it’s good to know that, hey you’re not alone in the world,” remarked Richard James Theriault II, a family member.
After Sunday's mass, families gathered for a luncheon to share their stories, but Delta Airlines did not allow the press in for that portion.
