The Southern Airways Flight 242 air disaster has been recorded as the worst air crash disaster in the history of Georgia.
Flight attendant Sandy Purl, a survivor, distinguished herself by trying to help those beyond help and by comforting the injured. Purl, who later wrote the book “Am I Alive?”, is scheduled to appear at the Paulding County Library March 29 at 10 a.m. to talk about the tragedy.
At the time of the accident, the Southern Airways aircraft was flying from Huntsville, Ala., to Atlanta. After flying through a powerful storm, the crew attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engines, gliding down unpowered while simultaneously trying to find an emergency landing field within range. Air traffic control suggested Dobbins Air Force Base, about 20 miles east, as a possible landing site, but it was beyond reach. Cartersville Airport, a general aviation airport about 15 miles north with a much shorter runway intended for light aircraft was considered, but it was behind the aircraft and now out of reach.
As the aircraft ran out of altitude and options, gliding with a broken windshield and no engine power, the crew made visual contact with the ground and spotted a straight section of Highway 92 below. They executed an unpowered forced landing on that road, but during the rollout the aircraft collided with a gas station/grocery store and other structures. The flight crew and 62 passengers were killed due to impact forces and fire, but 21 of the passengers survived, as well as both flight attendants.
Nine Paulding County residents on the ground died. One passenger initially survived the crash but died on June 5, 1977.
This traveling display will be at the Paulding County Library Feb. 20-March 2.
