WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. – It happened 37 years ago: Flight 255 crashed as it took off from Detroit Metro Airport.
Over the years, we’ve done several stories about the crash, the investigation, and how lives changed.
But for me, one particular story stands out: The one about Cecelia Cichan, the 4-year-old girl from Arizona who survived.
Cecelia’s mother, father, and older brother were killed in the crash, and afterward, the rest of her family worked hard to protect her privacy.
As an adult, she decided to share part of her story in a documentary film. Local 4 traveled to Chicago to meet with the production company and hear from Cecelia ourselves.
Our story gave Cecelia a chance to share with Metro Detroiters what had happened, in her own words. Viewers said they were thankful for the closure they felt when they saw her as an adult, knowing she was OK.
I talked a little bit about covering this story and then included our original version in the video above.