When are you going to come to fetch us? Because I was lucky. The controller in Santiago, unaware the flight was still over the Andes, authorized him to descend to 11,500 feet (3,500m) (FL115). The impact crushed the cockpit with the two pilots inside, killing Ferradas immediately. Meanwhile, Parrado and Canessa were brought on horseback to Los Maitenes de Curic, where they were fed and allowed to rest. Another boy was screaming, Im blind! When he moved his head I could see his brainand a piece of metal sticking out of his stomach. The pilots were astounded at the difficult terrain the two men had crossed to reach help. [33] A flood of international reporters began walking several kilometers along the route from Puente Negro to Termas del Flaco. We have to get out from here quickly and we don't know how. The ones who survived were those who most felt the joy of living. In the resulting media frenzy, the survivors revealed that they had been forced to commit cannibalism. Unknown to the people on board, or the rescuers, the flight had crashed about 21km (13mi) from the former Hotel Termas el Sosneado, an abandoned resort and hot springs that might have provided limited shelter.[2]. They removed the seat covers, which were partially made of wool, to use against the cold. They called on the Andes Rescue Group of Chile (CSA). The survivors have reunited this week to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the crash. 1972. The weather on 13 October also affected the flight. They became sicker from eating these. Lagurara failed to notice that instrument readings indicated he was still 6070km (3743mi) from Curic. Nando Parrado described in his book, Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home, how they came up with the idea of making a sleeping bag: The second challenge would be to protect ourselves from exposure, especially after sundown. One of the men across the river saw Parrado and Canessa and shouted back, "Tomorrow!" [20], The group survived by collectively deciding to eat flesh from the bodies of their dead comrades. [43], In 1973, mothers of 11 young people who died in the plane crash founded the Our Children Library in Uruguay to promote reading and teaching. 2022-10-13 21:00:26 - Paris/France. The 28 people crammed themselves into the broken fuselage in a space about 2.5 by 3 metres (8ft 2in 9ft 10in). Numa Turcatti, whose extreme revulsion for eating the meat dramatically accelerated his physical decline, died on day 60 (11 December) weighing only 25 kg (55 pounds). The survivors trapped inside soon realized they were running out of air. They didnt care about using the bodies of their sons for food. On the second day, Canessa thought he saw a road to the east, and tried to persuade Parrado to head in that direction. They stop overnight on the mountain at El Barroso camp. Even just moments after the crash, they had to make difficult decisions. But now I can be the shepherd who can make this child survive. At approximately 3:30 pm on October 13 the aircraft struck a mountain, losing its right wing and then its left wing before crashing into a remote valley of Argentina near the Chilean border. But then one of the other boys said,Roberto, how lucky you are that you can walk for all of us. That was like a heroic infusion into my heart. Inside and nearby, they found luggage containing a box of chocolates, three meat patties, a bottle of rum, cigarettes, extra clothes, comic books, and a little medicine. [2] Close to the grave, they built a simple stone altar and staked an orange iron cross on it. The survivors lacked medical supplies, cold-weather clothing and equipment or food, and only had three pairs of sunglasses among them to help prevent snow blindness. And there were already signs that the flight wouldn't be easy. Several survivors were determined to join the expedition team, including Roberto Canessa, one of the two medical students, but others were less willing or unsure of their ability to withstand such a physically exhausting ordeal. Alive! Then we realized that by folding the quilt in half and stitching the seams together, we could create an insulated sleeping bag large enough for all three expeditionaries to sleep in. Canessa, Parrado, and Vizintn were among the strongest boys and were allocated larger rations of food and the warmest clothes. Search efforts were cancelled after eight days. Given the cloud cover, the pilots were flying under instrument meteorological conditions at an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,500m) (FL180), and could not visually confirm their location. I nearly gave up when the avalanche struck us. On the second day, 11 aircraft from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay searched for the downed flight. The pilot was able to bring the aircraft nose over the ridge, but at 3:34p.m., the lower part of the tail-cone may have clipped the ridge at 4,200 metres (13,800ft). [49] Sergio Cataln died on 11 February 2020[50] at the age of 91. Authorities said that during the flight the pilot. The ethnographic museum of the past is making its way to the exit.. He attempted to keep her alive without success, as during the eighth day she succumbed to her injuries. Colonel Julio Csar Ferradas was an experienced Air Force pilot who had a total of 5,117 flying hours. The herdsmen indicated that they would return the following day. Vierci, Paulo. The last eight survivors of the Uruguayan Air Force plane crash in the Andes in South America, huddle together in the craft's fuselage on their final night before rescue on Dec. 22, 1972.. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. After a lengthy discussion, the starving survivors resorted to eating corpses. Eduardo Strauch later mentioned in his book Out of the Silence that the bottom half of the fuselage, which was covered in snow and untouched by the fire, was still there during his first visit in 1995. To try to keep out some of the cold, they used luggage, seats, and snow to close off the open end of the fuselage. They also found the aircraft's two-way radio. This has to go down as one of the greatest tragedies in aviation history, not for the scale of death, but for the hardships some of the survivors came to endure. I am Uruguayan. Dont be seduced by your own ego and think youre better than other people, because thats the beginning of being unsuccessful. However, given the circumstances, including that the bodies were in Argentina, the Chilean rescuers left the bodies at the site until authorities could make the necessary decisions. We wondered whether we were going mad even to contemplate such a thing. Harley lay down to die, but Parrado would not let him stop and took him back to the fuselage. [34], Under normal circumstances, the search and rescue team would have brought back the remains of the dead for burial. Parrado later said, "It was soft and greasy, streaked with blood and bits of wet gristle. Today 50 years ago, the world abandoned Old Christians Rugby Club in the Valley of Tears, 12,000 . Sixteen survivors of Uruguayan Flight 571, which was taking a team of amateur rugby players and their supporters to Chile, came together to mark the 50th anniversary of their ordeal . A survivor of the Uruguayan rugby team plane crash reflects; Sun 14 Oct 2012 09.29 EDT The surviving members of a Uruguayan rugby team have played a match postponed four decades ago when their plane crashed in the Andes, stranding them for 72 days. [5][6] Once across the mountains in Chile, south of Curic, the aircraft was supposed to turn north and initiate a descent into Pudahuel Airport in Santiago. Wreckage from Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 that crashed in the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972. Talking from Philadelphia, during his book tour, he explains how the joy of living was the key to overcoming death, how he coped with the shocking dilemma he faced on the mountain, and why we should all be more grateful for what we have. That if you have sleep, water to drink, and decent food, you are lucky. [5][14], The plane fuselage came to rest on a glacier at 344554S 701711W / 34.76500S 70.28639W / -34.76500; -70.28639 at an elevation of 3,570 metres (11,710ft) in the Malarge Department, Mendoza Province. [17], Knowing that rescue efforts had been called off and faced with starvation and death, those still alive agreed that, should they die, the others might consume their bodies to live. The plane, traveling from Uruguay to Chile, went down over the Andes moun-tains after on October 13, 1972. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with him about his story of hope in his book, Out of the Silence: After. [17], It was still bitterly cold, but the sleeping bag allowed them to live through the nights. News & Politics; . But could we do it? Remember the TV seriesLost? The solar collector melted snow which dripped into empty wine bottles. I didnt know it at the time, but as we walked my father was in a plane overhead, searching for us. We needed blankets, so we skinned the seats of the plane, which contained a wool fabric. Marcelo Perez, captain of the rugby team, assumed leadership.[15][17]. My main issue was that I was invading the privacy of my friends: raping their dignity by invading their bodies. Because of the co-pilot's dying statement that the aircraft had passed Curic, the group believed the Chilean countryside was just a few kilometres away to the west. We ripped open seat cushions hoping to find straw, but found only inedible upholstery foam Again and again, I came to the same conclusion: unless we wanted to eat the clothes we were wearing, there was nothing here but aluminum, plastic, ice, and rock. The group decided to camp that night inside the tail section. When he had boarded the ill-fated Uruguay Air Force plane for Chile, Harley weighed 84 kilograms. I thought, Youre dead. I grabbed my seat and recited a Hail Mary. An Uruguayan air force plane carrying a private college rugby team crashed in a rugged mountain pass while en route from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile, in October 1972. [15], The authorities and the victims' families decided to bury the remains near the site of the crash in a common grave. CANELONES, URUGUAY - The first night was the worst, Roy Harley recalls of the ten weeks he and other survivors of a plane crash 50 years ago managed to cling to . The tail was missingcut away from the rest of the fuselage by. The team had an inter-college match fixture in Santiago, Chile. Enrique Platero had a piece of metal stuck in his abdomen that when removed brought a few inches of intestine with it, but he immediately began helping others. [26], Parrado and Canessa took three hours to climb to the summit. Put us inside that moment. My children went to school with the nieces and nephews of those that died, and I think this was a very good healing process. While some reports state the pilot incorrectly estimated his position using dead reckoning, the pilot was relying on radio navigation. They used the seat cushions as snow shoes. On October 12 1972, a plane carrying Stella Maris College rugby team plus coaches and supporters took off from Montevideo. [15][16], At least four died from the impact of the fuselage hitting the snow bank, which ripped the remaining seats from their anchors and hurled them to the front of the plane: team physician Dr. Francisco Nicola and his wife Esther Nicola; Eugenia Parrado and Fernando Vazquez (medical student). Updated on 13/10/2022 14:00A day like today, 50 years ago, happened Regardless, at 3:21p.m., shortly after transiting the pass, Lagurara contacted Santiago and notified air traffic controllers that he expected to reach Curic a minute later. The accident and subsequent survival became known as the Andes flight disaster ( Tragedia de los Andes) and the Miracle of the Andes ( Milagro de los Andes ). Those. Over the next few weeks six others died, and further hardship struck on October 29, when an avalanche buried the fuselage and filled part of it with snow, causing eight more deaths. There were 10 extra seats and the team members invited a few friends and family members to accompany them. His new book,I Had To Survive: How a Plane Crash in The Andes Inspired My Calling to Save Lives,tells the story of a young man who survived impossible oddsand went on to devote his life to giving hope to others. Carlitos [Pez] took on the challenge. The survivors who had found the rear of the fuselage came up with an idea to use insulation from the rear of the fuselage, copper wire, and waterproof fabric that covered the air conditioning of the plane to fashion a sleeping bag.[18][17]. 'Why the hell is that good news?' Some feared eternal damnation. Por favor, no podemos ni caminar. "[29] The next morning, the three men could see that the hike was going to take much longer than they had originally planned. The pilot had made a huge mistake: Hed turned north and begun the descent to Santiago while the aircraft was still in the high Andes. [Laughs] We felt proud that we managed to heal by ourselves. It is south of the 4,650 metres (15,260ft) high Mount Seler, the mountain they later climbed and which Nando Parrado named after his father. [17] The survivors heard on the transistor radio that the Uruguayan Air Force had resumed searching for them. I had survived! 'Hey boys,' he shouted, 'there's some good news! Unaware of the mistake, controllers cleared him to begin descending in preparation for landing. Editorial ALreves, S.L., Bercelona, Spain, Read, Piers Paul. We have been walking for 10 days. We brought them letters containing the last thoughts of our friends, and I wanted to make clear that the support of our friends that died was very important for us. It was Friday, October 13, 1972, and the Uruguayan Air Force Fairchild F-227 had crashed into a glacial valley high in the Andes. Two of the rugby player on board, Gustavo Zerbino and Roberto Canessa, were medical students in Uruguay. For three days, the remaining survivors were trapped in the extremely cramped space within the buried fuselage with about 1 metre (3ft 3in) headroom, together with the corpses of those who had died in the avalanche. I have a wounded friend up there. Flight 571 Plane Crash Survivors Made Gruesome Cannibal Pact News Au Australia S Leading Site. [4], Thirty-three remained alive, although many were seriously or critically injured, with wounds including broken legs which had resulted from the aircraft's seats collapsing forward against the luggage partition and the pilot's cabin. Or was this the only sane thing to do? Uruguayan Flight 571 was set to take a team of amateur rugby players and. We could drink as much water as we wanted. [2] Club president Daniel Juan chartered a Uruguayan Air Force twin turboprop Fairchild FH-227D to fly the team over the Andes to Santiago. Please, we cannot even walk. Dont wait for your plane to crash to realize how lucky you are. In 2007, Chilean arriero Sergio Cataln was interviewed on Chilean television during which he revealed that he had leg (hip) arthrosis. We put all the suitcases at the back of the fuselage to keep out the weather. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. So we were throwing around rugby balls and singing a song, Conga, conga, conga: the plane is dancing conga. The next thing, someone looked out the window and said, Arent we flying too close to the mountains?!. I also wasnt seriously injured. On the third day, they reach Las Lgrimas glacier, where the remains of the accident are found. Four-wheel drive vehicles transport travelers from the village of El Sosneado to Puesto Araya, near the abandoned Hotel Termas del Sosneado. Parrado replied:[17][26], Vengo de un avin que cay en las montaas. In addition to club members, friends, family, and others were also on board, having been recruited to help pay the cost of the plane. I feel that I shared a piece of my friends not only materially but spiritually because their will to live was transmitted to us through their flesh. During the days following the crash, they divided this into small amounts to make their meager supply last as long as possible. Which travel companies promote harmful wildlife activities? [12][37] The survivors received public backlash initially, but after they explained the pact the survivors had made to sacrifice their flesh if they died to help the others survive, the outcry diminished and the families were more understanding. Everyone had a role, and because I was a medical student, I was in charge of the injured persons. Much better than going to psychiatrists. Before long, we would become too weak to recover from starvation. We didnt kill anyone. His mother had taught him to sew when he was a boy, and with the needles and thread from the sewing kit found in his mother's cosmetic case, he began to work to speed the progress, Carlitos taught others to sew, and we all took our turns Coche [Inciarte], Gustavo [Zerbino], and Fito [Strauch] turned out to be our best and fastest tailors. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? Fito Strauch devised a way to obtain water in freezing conditions by using sheet metal from under the seats and placing snow on it. [22][23], Seventeen days after the crash, near midnight on 29 October, an avalanche struck the aircraft containing the survivors as they slept. She had strong religious convictions, and only reluctantly agreed to partake of the flesh after she was told to view it as "like Holy Communion". Well, this is the real thing. It was something we endured and had to live through. En el avin quedan 14 personas heridas. [3][2], The aircraft continued forward and upward another 200 meters (660ft) for a few more seconds when the left wing struck an outcropping at 4,400 meters (14,400ft), tearing off the wing. Heres why each season begins twice. The courage of this one boy prevented a flood of total despair. After some debate the next morning, they decided that it would be wiser to return to the tail, remove the aircraft's batteries, and take them back to the fuselage so they might power up the radio and make an SOS call to Santiago for help.[17]. On 26 December, two pictures taken by members of Cuerpo de Socorro Andino (Andean Relief Corps) of a half-eaten human leg were printed on the front page of two Chilean newspapers, El Mercurio and La Tercera de la Hora,[2] who reported that all survivors resorted to cannibalism. I think we survived because we were a team and because we managed to walk out of the mountains. [15], They continued east the next morning. Unknown to any of the team members, the aircraft's electrical system used 115 volts AC, while the battery they had located produced 24 volts DC,[4] making the plan futile from the beginning. "You and I are friends, Nando. When we got back to Uruguay one of the things I wanted to do was visit the parents of the ones that did not make it out. The next day, more survivors ate the meat offered to them, but a few refused or could not keep it down.[2]. The aircraft carried 40 passengers and five crew members. They were actually more than 89km (55mi) to the east, deep in the Andes. To get there, the plane would have to fly over the snow-capped peaks of the Andes Mountains. I was there before. "[12] The aircraft ground collision alarm sounded, alarming all of the passengers. When they rested that evening they were very tired, and Canessa seemed unable to proceed further. [7][10] Later analysis of their flight path found the pilot had not only turned too early, but turned on a heading of 014 degrees, when he should have turned to 030 degrees. The pilot waited and took off at 2:18p.m. on Friday 13 October from Mendoza. After more than two unthinkably. [40] The father of one victim had received word from a survivor that his son wished to be buried at home. pp. Here, he was able to stop a truck and reach the police station at Puente Negro. They had hiked about 38km (24mi) over 10 days. The inexperienced co-pilot, Lieutenant-Colonel Dante Hctor Lagurara, was at the controls when the accident occurred. After just a few days, we were feeling the sensation of our own bodies consuming themselves just to remain alive. Every day, when I look at myself in the mirror, I thank God the same old jerk is still staring back at me. There were two moments that were turning points for me. During this time, several survivors, the expeditionaries, had been surveying the area for an escape route. [15], On 15 November, Arturo Nogueira died, and three days later, Rafael Echavarren died, both from gangrene due to their infected wounds. Canessa used broken glass from the aircraft windshield as a cutting tool. We are weak. Omissions? 'Alive': Uruguay plane crash survivors savour life 50 years on On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying an amateur Uruguayan rugby team, along with relatives and supporters, to an away match in Chile crashed in the Andes with 45 people on board. Nando Parrado recalled hitting a downdraft, causing the plane to drop several hundred feet and out of the clouds. Now let's go die together. The second flight of helicopters arrived the following morning at daybreak. RobertoCanessawas a 19-year-old medical student when the plane went down. They decided instead that it would be more effective to return to the fuselage and disconnect the radio system from the aircraft's frame, take it back to the tail, and connect it to the batteries. Parrado was sure this was their way out of the mountains. They hoped to get to Chile to the west, but a large mountain lay west of the crash site, persuading them to try heading east first. [2] The search area included their location and a few aircraft flew near the crash site. Of the 45 people on board, including fivewomen, none of whom survived, only 16 walked outalive. Witness accounts and evidence at the scene indicated the plane struck the mountain either two or three times. A search for the missing plane was launched, but it soon became clear that the last reported location was incorrect. 2022. On 15 November, after several hours of walking east, the trio found the largely intact tail section of the aircraft containing the galley about 1.6km (1mi) east and downhill of the fuselage. [17][26], Gradually, there appeared more and more signs of human presence; first some evidence of camping, and finally on the ninth day, some cows. Three crew members and nine passengers died immediately; several more died soon afterward due to the frigid temperatures and the severity of their injuries. At an altitude of approximately 11,500 feet (3,500 metres), the group faced snow and freezing temperatures. About the Documentary On Friday, October 13, in 1972, charter flight 571 took off from Montevideo, Uruguay's capital city, carrying a boisterous team of wealthy college athletes to a rugby match . Canessa agreed. The next day, the man returned. Only much later did Canessa learn that the road he saw to the east would have gotten them to rescue sooner and easier.[29][30]. We melted snow to get water. Uruguayan Air Force flight 571, also called Miracle of the Andes or Spanish El Milagro de los Andes, flight of an airplane charted by a Uruguayan amateur rugby team that crashed in the Andes Mountains in Argentina on October 13, 1972, the wreckage of which was not located for more than two months. As the weather improved with the arrival of late spring, two survivors, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, climbed a 4,650-metre (15,260ft) mountain peak without gear and hiked for 10 days into Chile to seek help, traveling 61 km (38 miles). With no choice, the survivors ate the bodies of their dead friends.[15][17]. With no other choice, on the third day they began to eat the raw flesh of their newly dead friends. [31], Sergio Cataln, a Chilean arriero (muleteer), read the note and gave them a sign that he understood. I dont care. When the fuselage collided with a snow bank, the seats were torn from their base and thrown against the forward bulkhead and each other. The death of Perez, the team captain and leader of the survivors, along with the loss of Liliana Methol, who had nursed the survivors "like a mother and a saint", were extremely discouraging to those remaining alive.[16][22]. Survivors made several brief expeditions in the immediate vicinity of the aircraft in the first few weeks after the crash, but they found that altitude sickness, dehydration, snow blindness, malnourishment, and the extreme cold during the nights made traveling any significant distance an impossible task.[7]. Consequently, the survivors had to sustain life with rations found in the wreckage after the plane had crashed. [2], Upon being rescued, the survivors initially explained that they had eaten some cheese and other food they had carried with them, and then local plants and herbs. After the initial shock of their plane crashing into the Andes mountains on that fateful Friday the 13th of October 1972, Harley and 31 other survivors found themselves in the pitch dark in. The flight was carrying 45 passengers and crew, including 19 members of the Old Christians Club rugby union team, along with their families, supporters, and friends. We had rented an air force plane to go from Uruguay to Chile. On that morning conditions over the Andes had not improved but changes were expected by the early afternoon. Except the island was the Andes mountains, and the lost were a group of boys who would face a dilemma too shocking, and too real, for prime timewhether to die a slow, excruciating death or eat the frozen bodies of their dead friends. Hace 10 das que estamos caminando. Uruguayan Air Force flight 571, also called Miracle of the Andes or Spanish El Milagro de los Andes, flight of an airplane charted by a Uruguayan amateur rugby team that crashed in the Andes Mountains in Argentina on October 13, 1972, the wreckage of which was not located for more than two months. He had prearranged with the priest who had buried his son to mark the bag containing his son's remains. During part of the climb, they sank up to their hips in the snow, which had been softened by the summer sun. The Chilean military photographed the bodies and mapped the area. But the lessons he learned on the mountain never left him. With Hugo Stiglitz, Norma Lazareno, Luz Mara Aguilar, Fernando Larraaga. With the warmth of three bodies trapped by the insulating cloth, we might be able to weather the coldest nights. They dried the meat in the sun, which made it more palatable. Four members of the search and rescue team volunteered to stay with the seven survivors remaining on the mountain. AP On October 13, 1972, a charter jet carrying the Old Christians Club rugby union team across the Andes mountains crashed, killing 29 of the 45 people on board. 'Because it means,' [Nicolich] said, 'that we're going to get out of here on our own.' [27][28] seeking help. About the plane that crashes on a desert island? One helicopter remained behind in reserve. Who survived? He compared their actions to that of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, during which he gave his disciples the Eucharist. Unable to obtain official permission to retrieve his son's body, Ricardo Echavarren mounted an expedition on his own with hired guides. [29] They thought they would reach the peak in one day. He had broken legsbut I could walk. You can wait for the helicopter, but dont wait too long. That gave them a reason to survive. Shortly thereafter, the Chilean control tower was unable to contact the plane. Furthermore, the harsh environment led many to believe that there were no survivors. THE survivors of a plane crash over the Andes in 1972 who were forced to resort to cannibalism to stay alive have said they "got used to eating human flesh". They hoped that the valley they were in would make a U-turn and allow them to start walking west to Chile. Upon returning to the tail, the trio found that the 24-kilogram (53lb) batteries were too heavy to take back to the fuselage, which lay uphill from the tail section. Of the 45 people aboard the plane, only 16 survived the ordeal. The remaining survivors of an Uruguayan rugby team were rescued when their plane crashed into the Andes after months of waiting. Rumors circulated in Montevideo immediately after the rescue that the survivors had killed some of the others for food. AFP | 11 October 2022 05:48. In 1972 the Old Christians Club charted a Uruguayan Air Force plane to transport the team from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile. While the planes fuselage was largely intact, it provided limited protection from the harsh elements. The remaining passengers resorted to cannibalism. Numa Turcatti and Antonio Vizintin were chosen to accompany Canessa and Parrado; however, Turcatti's leg was stepped on and the bruise had become septic, so he was unable to join the expedition. After eight days, the search was called off, though later rescue efforts were undertaken by family members. Explore a billion-year-old volcanic mystery on Lake Superior, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, These Lake Superior islands are no place for amateurs, Photograph by Sobrevivientes de los Andes, Getty, Photograph by Everett Collection Historical, Alamy, One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. You were 19 when the plane carrying you and your rugby team crashed high in the Andes. [17][2], Even with this strict rationing, their food stock dwindled quickly. The unnamed glacier (later named Glaciar de las Lgrimas or Glacier of Tears) is between Mount Sosneado and 4,280 metres (14,040ft) high Volcn Tinguiririca, straddling the remote mountainous border between Chile and Argentina. Many of the passengers had compound fractures or had been impaled by pieces . Then, "he began to climb, until the plane was nearly vertical and it began to stall and shake. In his memoir, Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home (2006), Nando Parrado wrote about this decision: At high altitude, the body's caloric needs are astronomical we were starving in earnest, with no hope of finding food, but our hunger soon grew so voracious that we searched anyway again and again, we scoured the fuselage in search of crumbs and morsels.