在纽约,美国花样滑冰队的18名成员踌躇满志地登上飞机。他们将飞往比利时的布鲁塞尔,在那儿转机,到(前)捷克斯洛伐克去参加在布拉格举办的世界花样滑冰锦标赛。站在比利时沙比那航空公司的707喷气机的舷梯上,全体成员合影留念。这批全美顶尖的滑冰运动员在照相机前笑脸盈盈,开心地笑着,眼睛里舞动着激动与兴奋。这将成为他们生命中珍贵的一刻。
机上有三对双人组合,其中两对是兄妹组合:希科克斯兄妹和哈德利兄妹,另一对是夫妻搭档,迪宁夫妇。但众星之中最耀眼的是一名单人滑选手。她叫劳伦斯·欧文,人称“劳利”。年仅16岁的她,两天前刚夺得北美花样滑冰女子冠军。劳利技巧娴熟,优雅无比,笑靥如花。
劳利出生于滑冰世家。母亲玛丽贝尔曾九次将美国花样滑冰冠军收入囊中。劳利还有一个姐姐,与母亲同名。玛丽贝尔·欧文20岁,实力不如劳利,但也刚刚获得美国双人滑大龄组的冠军。欧文家的三员女将都在飞往布鲁塞尔的航班上。
1961年2月14日下午7点30分,沙比那548号航班起飞了。飞越大西洋的航程是很惬意的。第二天一早,飞机飞临布鲁塞尔的机场,没有任何异常。驾驶飞机的路易斯·兰布莱奇机长,没有发出任何遇难信号。该地区没有暴风雨,也没有大风。事实上,天气很好,暖和而晴朗。
但驾驶员座舱肯定出了什么差错。在预定着陆的最后几分钟内,兰布莱奇机长没有与布鲁塞尔机场联系。快到上午十点时,他放下了起落架,开始着陆。但在最后一刻,他又把飞机机头拉起往上攀升。也许他看见另一架飞机正在起飞,害怕撞机。也许他已经知道他的飞机出了故障。不管怎么样,他绕着机场飞了一圈,再次尝试着陆。
兰布莱奇第二次出现了,飞过布鲁塞尔东北部的一个叫博格的村庄附近的农场,飞行了大约500英尺。突然他猛地提速,飞机急遽攀升。这时候,布鲁塞尔控制塔的官员们知道大事不妙了。“我们眼睁睁地看着惨剧发生,”有个官员说。“他们的反应够快的了,可是无能为力,”他说。
有个坐火车的人看见飞机出问题了。“飞机好像准备正常着陆,突然又攀升到天空,”他说。“然后掉了下来,像块大石头一样,接着我们就听见了爆炸声。”
10点05分,飞机撞到地面爆炸了,燃成了一团火球。还险些就撞上一排房子。机上72人全部遇难,其中包括49名美国人和11名机组人员。人们无能为力。失事现场一片狼藉。碎片散落到200码开外。烧焦的残骸以及肢体满地都是。机上的几对夫妇最后一次紧紧抱在一起。
这场空难震惊了全球滑冰界以及热爱花样滑冰的人们。滑冰界以前从来没有发生过类似的惨剧。为了纪念遇难者,布拉格的冠军赛取消了。
这次坠机对某些家庭尤其令人悲痛欲绝。欧文家三名女性全部丧生。除此之外,还有九个家庭至少痛失两名亲人。
明星们的希望和梦想在一瞬间破灭了。救援人员仔细搜寻了遇难现场,只找到三双已经烧焦的冰鞋,在残留的机翼上摇曳。
A third of duo, two of which are combined to brother: cox brothers and sisters and Hadley sibling, another pair is married, ning couples. But the stars of the brightest reacts is a player. She called Lawrence Owen, called "Laurie. Sixteen-year-old, just two days after she won the women's championship north figure skating. Laurie skill skillfully, elegant, henceforth no longer.
Laurie was born in skating family. Mother Mary bell had nine times the figure skating champion. Laurie and one sister, and mother. Mary bell irving 20 years old, strength, but also just as Laurie won the champion of older American routine group. The third part is OuWenGu women in flight to Brussels.
In 1961, February 14 at 7:30 PM, the flight number shabbethai 548. The voyage across the Atlantic is very comfortable. The next morning, the plane flew near Brussels airport, without any abnormalities. The plane's captain luis orchid britney was given any distress signal. This area no storm, no wind. In fact, the weather is good, warm and sunny.
But the cockpit affirmation out what went wrong. The last scheduled landing in a few minutes, the captain had no and Brussels airport's contact. Quick arrive ten o 'clock in the morning, he put the gear, began to landing. But at the last moment, and he put up climbed up the helicopter aircraft. Maybe he saw another aircraft take-off, fear is home. Perhaps he knew he was a fault plane. Anyway, he flew around the airport, try again.
Syria's second had appeared, northeast of a call over Brussels borg near the village of farm, flying about 500 feet. Suddenly he flung speed, plane rupture. At that time, the officials in Brussels the control tower that is great. "We watched a tragedy happened," the official said. "Their response fast enough, but powerless," he said.
A train people saw a plane. "Like normal landing aircraft to suddenly, and up to the sky," he said. "Then fell down, like a rock, then we will hear explosions."
10:05, plane slammed into the ground, burning exploded into a ball of fire. Also reasserted hit a row of houses. 72 people on-board on, including 49 U.S. and 11 crew. People powerless. The scene chaos. Debris 200 yards. Burning wreckage and body is all over the floor. A couple of last held together.
The plane was shocked by the global skating world figure skating and love. Skating world had never had a similar tragedy. In order to commemorate victims, Prague championship was cancelled.
In some families, especially in the crash was distraught. OuWenGu three women all died. In addition, there are at least nine households lost two ones.
Stars in the moment of hopes and dreams. Rescuers search for victims, carefully found only three have burned in the wings, residual skates.