Larimer County Considers Proclamation for 1955 United Airlines Crash Anniversary
A Larimer County resident has requested the Board of County Commissioners issue a proclamation marking the 70th anniversary of the November 1, 1955 United Airlines Flight 629 disaster that killed 44 people when the aircraft exploded over Weld County.
Phil Beerley addressed commissioners during their October 28 administrative matters meeting, recounting his family's role in the immediate aftermath of the crash near Johnson's Corner, where his parents managed the restaurant and truck stop.
"My dad being the manager of Johnson's Corner, immediately said, something terrible has happened. They're going to need help," Beerley told commissioners. "We were at the crash site within 10 minutes."
United Airlines Flight 629, a Douglas DC-6B named "Mainliner Denver," exploded in midair at approximately 7:03 p.m. on November 1, 1955, killing all 39 passengers and five crew members aboard. The FBI investigation revealed that John Gilbert Graham placed 25 sticks of dynamite in his mother's luggage to collect $37,500 in life insurance he purchased from a vending machine at Stapleton Airport, according to FBI records.
Local Residents Provided Critical Support
Beerley, who was 5 years old at the time, witnessed the midair explosion while traveling with his family about a mile north of Longmont. His father immediately drove to the crash site and helped secure the area from looters while recovery operations began.
The wreckage scattered across six square miles of farmland, with debris concentrated in two main impact craters 150 feet apart. Recovery efforts drew personnel from multiple agencies including the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Loveland Police Department, Colorado State Patrol and over 100 Denver Police officers, according to FBI case records.
After leaving the crash site around 1:30 a.m., Beerley's father returned to Johnson's Corner and organized an emergency feeding operation. He called in off-duty staff and contacted food suppliers to provide meals for first responders working the recovery effort.
"He called all of our food suppliers and said, you get us truckloads of food. We fed the crash rescuers for two days until the National Guard could get set up," Beerley said.
Beerley presented commissioners with a letter from the head of the Colorado State Patrol to his father acknowledging those efforts.
Multiple Commemorations Planned
Weld County commissioners plan to issue a proclamation during a meeting on October 29. The Denver Police Department will hold a memorial ceremony at the old Stapleton Tower on Saturday, November 1 at 11 a.m., which is open to the public.
Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally thanked Beerley for sharing his account. "Obviously still impactful and very moving story," Shadduck-McNally said. "I'm certainly appreciate our county manager coming to speak to you and we'll certainly look into this."
Commissioner John Kefalas acknowledged that many residents may not remember the tragedy. "Thank you for being reminded of what happened on November 1, 1955, and how you folks, you and your family were so close to the tragedy," Kefalas said.
Board Chair Kristen Stevens said the commissioners will consider the proclamation request. "We'll certainly consider a proclamation, and we'll be in touch," Stevens told Beerley.
Larimer County typically issues proclamations through a formal process that requires board review and approval, according to county procedures. Given that the 70th anniversary falls on Saturday, November 1, the timing presents scheduling challenges for formal board action before that date.