ORLANDO, Fla. — Conway residents gathered Saturday to place a historical marker to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the crash of a B-52 bomber.
The B-52 Stratofortress crashed into a residential neighborhood along Merryweather Drive on March 31, 1972 shortly after taking off from McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando.
Orlando resident Billy Garland was 12-years-old when the plane crashed in the Silver Beach neighborhood.
"I looked up and seen the tail of the plane, and I hollered 'run!' Was in the hospital 3 months," Garland told WFTV.
The crash killed the seven-member crew aboard the aircraft. Eight people on the ground were injured, including a child who later died. The crash remains the worst in Central Florida history.
Residents placed a historical marker at the site of the crash on Saturday to honor the lives lost 40 years ago.
Watch: ABC news features a WFTV report on the day of the crash
WFTV
