7.30.21 – Remembering the Successful Evacuation of TWA Flight 843

Friday, July 30, 2021

Remembering the Successful Evacuation of TWA Flight 843

On July 30, 1992, Trans World Airlines Flight 843, operating from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to San Francisco, CA, crashed after an aborted takeoff. The Pilots aborted takeoff when a warning system indicated that the engines were stalling. Despite an intense fire, the nine Flight Attendants and three Pilots successfully evacuated all 280 passengers from the Lockheed L-1011 aircraft. In addition to the crew, five commuting Flight Attendants and two commuting Pilots assisted in the successful evacuation of the aircraft.

The crew evacuated all 280 passengers in less than two minutes with only three operative slides. Utilizing the skills taught in initial Flight Attendant training and refreshed every year, they exhibited a textbook evacuation.

Operating Flight Deck Crew

Captain William Kinkead
First Officer Dennis Hergert
Flight Engineer Charles Long

Commuting Flight Deck Crew

Jim Fernbaugh
Monty Mountsier

Operating Flight Attendants

Joan Agosti
Sheri Bencini
Rose Berardelli
Barbara Furman
Paula Guice-Williams
Theresa Hawn
Chris Kargle-Foster
Ed Schwendner
Aleta Smith

Commuting Flight Attendants

Annie Burns
Kaye Chandler
Marilyn Kregel
Karen Lacey
Eunice Wong

Photo courtesy of the TWA Museum

On this 29th anniversary, APFA recognizes and honors the heroic actions of the entire crew of TWA Flight 843.