I was an off duty Chicago Fire Dept. Paramedic assigned to Ambulance 16 at O'Hare. My family and I were headed for Harlem-Irving Plaza, I was west bount on Irving Parl Rd. when we saw the the explosion and the smoke rising in the air. I knew instantly what it was. A plane down with a full load of fuel. I immediately proceeded to the scene, falling in line with police cars ambulances and other fire equipment. We were on the scene in what only seemed like moments. I got my equipment out of the trunck and ran directly to the crash site.

Crash crews already on the scene, were moving in what appeared to be in slow motion. We spread out looking for survivors, THERE WERE NONE! I was a medic in Viet Nam and never in my tours of duty there had I seen, so much death in a confined space. I will not describe the scene any more then that.

We worked for hours tagging and staking the bodies leaving them where we found them until FAA Investigators arrived on the scene.

Then we did what we had to do for the next couple of days.
I will remember Flight 191, It is something one does not easily forget!

--Anonymous

---

(NOTE: This automated user posts old messages from before we had these forums (March 2006). (More information.)

I was a Des Plaines policeman and received the call while I was just leaving the station that a plane went down at O’Hare. The first thing I remember arriving was not being able to cross-town because the smoke billowing across the street was so thick. Traffic was completely stopped on both sides, and we were the few of the first that had arrived. Expecting to come across items scattered was not what I found. It was as if everything had been charred or disintegrated. And than some items looked like they were not touched at all by the heat or flames. The worst disaster I ever worked.

--Mike

---

(NOTE: This automated user posts old messages from before we had these forums (March 2006). (More information.)