ROMULUS, Mich. — The only person who survived a plane crash near Detroit Metropolitan Airport a quarter of a century ago said she thinks about the wreck every day.
Cecelia Cichan discussed the crash for "Sole Survivor," an upcoming documentary featuring stories of plane crash survivors.
"I think about the accident every day. It's kind of hard not to think about it when I look in the mirror," she said in a clip from the film that was broadcast by WDIV-TV in Detroit.
An image shows Cichan with a tattoo of an airplane on her wrist.
Thursday marks 25 years since Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed in the Detroit suburb of Romulus, killing 154 people on board. Two people also died on the ground.
The Phoenix-bound plane was just clearing the runway at 8:46 p.m. when it tilted slightly. The left wing clipped a light pole, and the damaged airliner sheared the top off a rental car building. The McDonnell Douglas MD80 left a half-mile trail of bodies, charred wreckage, magazines and trays of food along Middle Belt Road when it crashed on Aug. 16, 1987.
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded the plane's crew failed to set the wing flaps properly for takeoff. The agency also said a cockpit warning system did not alert the crew to the problem.
Cichan was 4 at the time. Her parents and brother were killed. She is now married, and her name is Cecelia Crocker.
Romulus fire Lt. John Thiede, who played an important role in removing Cichan from the wreckage so she could receive medical attention for the severe burns she suffered, has kept in touch with her, talking on the phone and meeting in person on Cichan's wedding day.
"To see her come down the aisle, I came to tears," he told WDIV.
Source 1 | Source 2 (film web site)
I just thought this was a super interesting story that a lot of people on ONTD might not be familiar with. One thing that always stuck with me is that her grandparents called the hospital and said if the little girl who survived was wearing purple nail polish it their granddaugther.