Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Dawson plane crash with Explore Corsicana

Fifty years ago, on Friday, May 3, 1968, Braniff International Flight 352, operating from Houston Hobby Airport to Dallas Love Field, crashed one mile east of Dawson, Texas, after entering a developing area of severe thunderstorms. Eighty passengers, including two Braniff International employees who were traveling to Dallas, and a crew of three pilots and two hostesses were on board (85). The body of a woman who had died of cancer the day before was also transported in the cargo section of the aircraft. There were no survivors of what became Texas' worst aviation disaster.

Please mark your calendar to come and join Braniff Airways Foundation and the City of Dawson, Texas, for a very special 50th Anniversary ceremony to honor the passengers, crew members, Braniff International employees and the families of Braniff International Flight 352, on May 3, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. Guest speakers will discuss their special Flight 352 experiences and recollections, which will include historians, local residents and rescue and recovery personnel. A special memorial plaque will also be dedicated to the City of Dawson and the passengers and families of the lost Electra Flight and a new Braniff International Flight 352 flag will be dedicated and flown permanently at the Flight 352 Memorial in Dawson City Park.

A special barbecue luncheon will be held at the First Baptist Church of Dawson, prior to the beginning of the ceremony at 11a.m. The luncheon will support the local Lions Club which has graciously offered to assist with ensuring that guests are directed to the event locations. The luncheon will be provided by Kountry Kitchen, which is asking that patrons of the barbecue donate to cover the costs of the luncheon with any profits spearheaded for the Dawson Lions Club.

The event will be held at Dawson High School, located at 199 N. School Drive in Dawson, Texas 76639. The school has graciously offered to host the event in their gymnasium. The dedication of two new plaques will be held at the conclusion of the ceremony but will ultimately be permanently placed at the Dawson City Hall. A visit to the crash site will be conducted after the ceremony with direction and guidance provided by the Lions Club of Dawson.

In 1968, Braniff International provided a plaque to honor the passengers aboard Flight 352. The plaque has worn over time and Braniff Airways Foundation will replace the original with two new and much larger stainless steel plaques. Each passenger's name will be laser engraved on the plaque along with an engraved tribute to the passengers and families. The second plaque will honor the 50th Anniversary of the accident and both plaques will be placed side by side in downtown Dawson.