this SR tragedy happend just months after FT started in 1998.

Together with Gisela I was at the US Tennis Open and from what I posted as travel plans on FT, a majority of (at that time may be 100 hundred frequent posters only) FTers did believe that we have booked that flight back to Switzerland. My (grown up) children at home did get several telefon calls (one even from Randy) and did explain that we were booked on UA (via IAD) and that they did not get any information about possible change of flight plans.

Gisela and I only learned about the SR tragedy when we met our children (with tears in their eyes) waiting at ZRH airport.

We were (and still are) very much moved also how the FT community did care about us and how they helped and did support our chilrden during about 12 hours of incertitude.

From Marc Rosset (a top ten swiss tennis player then, and winner of the Barcelona tennis gold medal) I learned later, that he initially was booked on that plane (expecting to lose his match the same day that did start at 11.00am - double fortunately for him he won and had to change flight plans).