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On December 16, 1960 a United Airlines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided in midair above New York City. The TWA plane crashed on the coast of Staten Island, killing all 44 passengers and crew. The United airliner veered to the East, crashing into the densely populated neighborhood of Park Slope, right at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Sterling Place.
The plane left a large trench running down Sterling Place and set fire to ten homes, the Pillar of Fire Church, the McCaddin Funeral Home, a laundromat, and a deli. Six people on the ground were killed, as well as 83 of the 84 passengers and crew. The lone survivor, Stephen Lambert Baltz, was an 11-year old boy from Illinois on his way to visit family in Yonkers. Stephen was taken to Methodist Hospital where he died of pneumonia the following day. With a total of 134 people killed, it was the deadliest air disaster in the world at the time. Sir Edmund Hillary, famous for being the first to reach the top of Mount Everest was supposed to be a passenger, but arrived at the airport late, missing the doomed flight.
If you look closely there is still evidence of the crash on Sterling Place and 7th Avenue. The building that stands at 123 Sterling Place was badly damaged by the plane’s wing and the repairs can still be seen. The first twelve rows of brick that top the building are a lighter color and the building’s tin cornice was never replaced. At 20 7th Avenue a damaged window was bricked over rather than replaced.
A small memorial exists in the chapel of Methodist Hospital to Stephen Lambert Baltz and the other crash victims. The plaque includes the change Stephen had in his pocket the day of the crash and reads: “Stephen Baltz Memorial, Remembering 135 Victims of The Aircraft Disaster, Brooklyn, NY December 16, 1960. Our Tribute to a Brave Little Boy.”
Interested in seeing more photos from CBH’s collection? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images. We look forward to inviting you to CBH in the future to research in our entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections. In the meantime, please visit our digital collections, available here. Our reference staff are still available to help with your research! You can reach us at library@brooklynhistory.org.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
I was in the 9th grade at
I was in the 9th grade at Montauk JHS in 1960. Rumors of a plane crash circulated around the school that Friday morning, and they announced on the PA system that we wouldn't be allowed out of the school at lunch time. My father drove us down to Park Slope on Sunday. We had to walk quite a few blocks to the crash site. I still remember the big United Airlines plane's tail sticking up on 7th Avenue.
Thirty-five years later, I was doing OB/GYN training at Methodist Hospital and visited the chapel to see the Stephen Baltz Memorial. A very poignant reminder of the tragic event years ago.
Mon, Dec 5 2022 4:13 pm
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My grandfather was in the DC
My grandfather was in the DC 8. My father was just 8 weeks old when his father died in the accident and my grandmother was left alone with a 2 year old child and an infant (they were German emigrants with no local family). When I think about how bad my grandpa's last minutes must have been, it makes me very sad. For my father, this accident has torn a gap in his life that can never be completely filled and that I still feel in part. Every time I get on a plane, I think of the tragedy and all those affected by it with a lot of compassion. Rest in peace.
Fri, May 19 2023 9:24 am
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Perhaps the saddest thing was
Perhaps the saddest thing was that the DC8 was likely only seconds from attempting a crash landing on nearby Prospect Park's long Meadow. Judging by the direction he had just turned up toward the park, that's where he was was likely headed to. This would have been know to the pilot as the approach to La Guardia often takes planes over the park. The meadow was less that 1800 feet away from the crash sire, only seconds by air. But I believe he has lost all his engine thrust and was gliding at the time. I was in Holy Name grammar school, a short distance away. My mother had rode by on the 7th Avenue bus about 15 minutes before the accident.
Fri, Oct 20 2023 8:44 pm
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