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208:. It skidded off the icy runway, through a fence, and into a ditch. The left wing broke off, rupturing the gasoline tanks, and the plane caught fire. Housley opened the emergency door and saw the ground eight feet below. Returning to the cabin, she helped passengers release their seat belts, guided them to the door and gave a gentle shove to those who were hesitant to jump. After saving 10 passengers, she returned to the cabin to try to rescue a four-month-old baby. After the fire was extinguished, the bodies of five women and two infants were found, including Housley with a baby in her arms.
242:, called her "the Bravest Woman In America." She was inducted into the Florida Aviation Hall of Fame in 2016. The bridge on Holbrook Drive in her hometown of Fountain City, Tennessee, was named in her honor in 2017. On October, 9, 2020, a Tennessee State Historical Marker (1E 136) was unveiled in her honor near the corner of Forestal Drive and Tazewell Pike in Fountain City.
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on
January 14, 1951. She led 10 passengers to safety, then returned to the burning cabin to save an infant. She died in the attempt and was later found holding the four-month-old baby in her arms.
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performed a benefit show in
Jacksonville to raise money for a new wing of the Hope Haven Hospital for Crippled Children to be named in Housley's honor. The Knoxville chapter of the
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National
Airlines installed a plaque in Housley's honor at Variety Children's Hospital in Miami. She was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal from the
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Mary
Frances Housley Tennessee State Historical Marker (1E 136) located near the corner of Forestal Drive and Tazewell Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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in 1951. There is a memorial to her in front of the Engine 78 firehouse at
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sorority, but left to get married. She was soon divorced, then worked as an office assistant for doctors in
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In
September, 1951, her story was adapted into a comic book and she was featured on the cover of
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dedicated a room in the
Crippled Children’s Hospital to Frankie Housley. Fifteen years later,
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498:"Heroic Central High graduate honored with a new historical marker"
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430:"Philadelphia's forgotten airline heroine needs a better memorial"
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Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
359:"Frankie Housley, and some that survived that 1951 plane crash"
476:"Little-known Knoxville hero gets bridge named in her honor"
184:. In 1950, she applied for a job as a flight attendant with
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At 2:13pm, January 14, 1951, National's Flight 83, a
132:(October 12, 1926 – January 14, 1951) was the lone
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518:. Eastern Color Printing Company. September 1951
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404:"MARY FRANCES HOUSLEY, Jacksonville, Florida"
152:Mary Frances "Frankie" Housley was born in
94:Central High School (Knoxville, Tennessee)
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305:"Fountain Citians Who Made A Difference"
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384:"Air Line Plans Memorial To Stewardess"
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454:Florida Aviation Historical Society
392:. AP. January 27, 1951. p. 16.
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142:Philadelphia International Airport
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569:Accidental deaths in Pennsylvania
428:Bykofsky, Stu (August 12, 2013).
140:, which crashed after landing at
559:People from Knoxville, Tennessee
474:Whetstone, Tyler (26 May 2017).
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450:"Florida Aviation Hall of Fame"
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334:"The Bravest Woman in America"
262:issue number 68, published by
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130:Mary Frances "Frankie" Housley
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408:Carnegie Hero Fund Commission
336:. Metro Pulse. Archived from
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186:National Airlines (1934–1980)
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138:National Airlines Flight 83
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65:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
478:. Knoxville News Sentinel
172:for one year and pledged
123:Heroism after plane crash
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16:American flight attendant
512:"New Heroic Comics #68"
170:University of Tennessee
264:Eastern Color Printing
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435:Philadelphia Inquirer
281:Barbara Jane Harrison
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303:J.C. (Jim) Tumblin.
236:A Girl Named Frankie
84:Knoxville, Tennessee
47:Knoxville, Tennessee
33:Mary Frances Housley
166:Central High School
72:Cause of death
254:In popular culture
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218:Carnegie Hero Fund
202:Newark, New Jersey
554:Flight attendants
260:New Heroic Comics
206:Norfolk, Virginia
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59:(1951-01-14)
549:1951 deaths
544:1926 births
174:Sigma Kappa
75:Plane crash
538:Categories
369:2008-03-28
344:2008-01-24
315:2008-01-24
287:References
234:published
148:Early life
100:Occupation
39:1926-10-12
212:Aftermath
192:The crash
158:Tennessee
154:Knoxville
90:Education
270:See also
226:Shriners
110:Employer
182:Florida
522:14 Jul
482:14 Jul
459:14 Jul
413:14 Jul
524:2017
484:2017
461:2017
415:2017
198:DC-4
54:Died
29:Born
136:on
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