Do you remember what happened 24 years ago on July 19, 1989?
On that day I witnessed a plane crash. I will not retell the entire story in this post. I have written about and updated my story several times, most recently last year. You can read the complete story by clicking on: UA232 – Sioux City
That was a day that is hard to forget. Even though I sometimes block that day out of my memory, there are certain things that will trigger those memories.
An example was earlier this month when the Asiana flight crashed in San Francisco. That was a day of Unblocked Memories. I wrote a post that day that included other memories of crashes and unplanned landings.
Today also makes me think of the TWA 800 crash that took place on July 17, 1996. I remember having stopped to spend the night with friends in Indiana. I was on the way back to Kansas City from Kentucky after attending the wedding of a very close friend. The TWA 800 crash was also in the news last month and brought memories back.
Tonight I tried to find some of the pictures that I took on that day 24 years ago. I was not able to find the ones that I was looking for, but maybe I have them tucked away somewhere out of sight and mind.
I did find two pictures that I will share.
This picture is a bit blurry, but helps tell the story. If you read my post from last year, UA232 – Sioux City, I mention a colleague who was with me at the airport. Here is Jonathon sitting at his desk back at the office. Seeing the old computer and test equipment on his desk brings back some good memories.
I am pretty sure that this picture was taken on the day of the crash as Jonothan had been helping me with an upgrade of this laser at St. Lukes Hospital in Sioux City. I am not sure why I am not wearing my glasses as this was after I had stopped wearing contacts.
Do I look like a doctor in this picture? This laser was used to break up kidney and gall stones and had some really interesting technology in it. I look at the picture and it brings back so many memories. I see some of my test equipment and my old briefcase and think about how you don’t see too many briefcases anymore. Everyone has computer bags today, or they just carry a tablet or phone with all the information they need. I think back to simpler times when we didn’t have instant access to information.
Steven
Braman's Wanderings 
I read the link and thought it’s really amazing how people survived. I don’t remember that event but then again I was just a baby (kidding). You look like a pretty young whipper snapper there too. What a day. I used to watch that show ‘Mayday’, because I mistakingly thought it’d reassure me that crashes are very infrequent and flying is very safe. What I ended up realizing is that most of the crashes seemed to be unavoidable, they were doomed from the start. A case of wrong place at the wrong time. One I watched was where the side window popped out in the cockpit because some repair guy used the wrong bolts during maintenance and the pilot got sucked out but his seat belt held him on the windshield. They made an emergency landing with him hanging outside the cockpit……I think he retired after that. I’d die of fright long before the wheels were on the ground.
I refuse to fly, amazingly to most people I have never been on a plane. Good picture of you.
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