He had been one of 77 passengers aboard United Flight 826, a Douglas DC-8 jetliner that, with a crew of seven, had wandered off course, apparently because of a problem with a navigational radio essential for flying in bad weather.

The jet, bound for what was then officially known as International Airport but was often called Idlewild (now John F. Kennedy International Airport), strayed into the path of Trans World Airlines Flight 266, a Lockheed Super Constellation on its way to LaGuardia Airport after stops in Ohio. It carried 39 passengers and 2 flight attendants, plus the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer.