Tragedy in the Skies--Crash of Flight 1771 Kills 43 People

You wish it weren’t so, but the awful truth is that the airplane is flying right into the ground. As we watched, it became apparent that it would crash. My son Jim and I were on a happy mission. He was driving us to Santa Rosa Creek Road to buy a Christmas tree. Every trip up Highway 46 is enjoyable, but this day the grass was greener, the sky was bluer and the grazing cattle were fatter.

Jim spotted the airplane first and asked me to confirm what he saw. I saw an airplane and something was terribly wrong--it was descending at a steep angle at a very high rate of speed. What a helpless feeling. A crash was inevitable. I was praying that the poor people on the plane could somehow be spared the terror of their situation.

It was over--the column of smoke was rising over the next hill on Old Creek Road. Much has been said about the facts of this tragic event.

We think we should turn our attention to the families and friends of those on Flight 1771. We wish that we could say something that would be comforting to them.

This place where your loved ones came to rest is one that God gave a little special treatment. It was a serene, beautiful place and with nature’s healing powers, it will once again be serene and beautiful.

We shared in a small, distant way the last moments of your loved ones’ lives. We offer you our sympathy and we wish you peace and the restoration of serenity and beauty in your lives.

AL GUY

JIM GUY

Cambria