On May 25th, 1979, siblings Melody Smith, Kim Jockl, and Jim Borchers suffered an unimaginable tragedy when their parents perished in the American Airlines Flight 191 crash. Flight 191 crashed in a Des Plaines field shortly after takeoff from O’Hare and remains the deadliest non-terrorist commercial aviation accident in American history. In this presentation, the Borchers siblings tell the inspiring story of how they rallied together as a family, rebuilt their lives, and ensured that the 273 people lost in the disaster would never be forgotten.

All members of the public are welcome to attend “Safe Landing: A Family’s Journey Following the Crash of American Airlines Flight 191.” The History Center’s Coffee Talks are a series of adult programs meant to invite public participation and discussion on a broad range of historical topics per the History Center’s mission. This program is free thanks to generous sponsorship from Village Bank & Trust.