The Grand Canyon Disaster: How Premonition Saved the Hughes Family from Flight 718
Premonitions often defy rational explanation, yet countless individuals have experienced moments of inexplicable foreknowledge that seem to transcend ordinary understanding. The Hughes family's experience in 1956 stands as a compelling example of this phenomenon. When James Hughes suddenly refused to board their scheduled flight home from California, insisting instead that his family take the train despite his wife Mary's frustration, he couldn't articulate why—only that he felt an overwhelming sense of dread about the plane journey.
This gut feeling proved eerily prescient when United Airlines flight 718 collided with another aircraft over the Grand Canyon, killing all 128 people aboard. Similarly intriguing is the case of Margaret and Matthew Ketta, who received a mysterious phone call about Matthew's brother being in the hospital—a call that preceded his actual hospitalization for a heart attack by exactly two weeks. Both stories challenge our understanding of intuition and raise questions about the nature of premonitions in our lives.
Key Takeaways
Unexplained premonitions can sometimes save lives, as demonstrated by James Hughes' decision to avoid a doomed flight in 1956.
Intuitive feelings or warning signs may arrive in mysterious ways, including through seemingly impossible phone calls.
Listening to inexplicable gut feelings, despite lack of logical explanation, can sometimes lead to life-changing outcomes.
Hughes Family History
The Hughes family, Mary and James, had a remarkable life together marked by extraordinary experiences that shaped their beliefs about the unexplainable. After marrying in 1951, they built a family with two daughters by 1956, later welcoming a third daughter, Tracy, in 1971. Their story contains elements that challenge conventional understanding of intuition and premonition.
James's Unexplainable Warning
In 1956, James experienced something that would forever change his perspective on intuition. While at a California airport preparing to board their flight back to Pittsburgh with their two young daughters, James was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense feeling of dread. This wasn't a vision or hallucination—just an overwhelming sense that something was terribly wrong. Despite Mary's frustration, James insisted they cancel their flight tickets and return by train instead.
His determination proved life-saving. The family later learned through an emergency radio broadcast that United Airlines Flight 718, their scheduled flight, had collided with a TWA Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon. The crash claimed 128 lives, including all 60 passengers and crew aboard their intended flight.
James maintained that he never experienced a similar feeling before or after this incident. He didn't claim psychic abilities—only that he had followed a powerful gut instinct that he couldn't explain but felt compelled to heed.
Mary's Interests in the Occult
Mary Hughes had always been drawn to supernatural practices. She frequently used tarot cards and occasionally brought out a Ouija board for special evenings. Though James wasn't particularly superstitious, he often participated in these activities to please his wife, viewing them as harmless entertainment.
Mary sometimes joked about having psychic abilities herself, noting instances where she could locate misplaced items before others realized they were missing. While these occurrences could be attributed to lucky guesses, the airport incident in 1956 dramatically shifted both Mary and James's perspectives on unexplained phenomena.
The couple kept the near-tragic experience private for many years, not even discussing it with their children. They only revealed the story when their youngest daughter Tracy turned 22 and planned to take a flight. With Mary's permission, Tracy later wrote about her father's experience, which was published in Fate magazine.
Despite their brush with the unexplainable, the Hughes family went on to lead long lives. James passed away in 2001, leaving behind a legacy that includes this remarkable story about the importance of trusting one's instincts, even when they defy logical explanation.
The Life-Changing Journey of 1956
A Pivotal Decision
In 1956, James and Mary Hughes had built a wonderful life together with their two young daughters. That summer, they took a family trip to California to visit relatives, traveling by train from Pittsburgh. After spending five enjoyable days with family, they prepared to return home by airplane—a choice that would give them extra time in California while avoiding the challenge of managing two restless young children on a long train journey.
Standing at the airport waiting to board, James suddenly experienced an overwhelming sense of foreboding. He couldn't explain it logically, but he felt with absolute certainty that something was wrong. This gut feeling was so powerful that he immediately told Mary they couldn't take the flight.
Mary was understandably frustrated by this abrupt change of plans. She tried to reason with him, pointing out the additional days of travel and the financial loss they would incur. Despite her protests, James remained firm in his conviction—they would not be boarding that plane.
The Grand Canyon Tragedy
While traveling home by train, James and Mary received shocking news through an emergency radio broadcast. United Airlines Flight 718, the very plane they had been booked on, had collided mid-air with a TWA Lockheed Super Constellation over Grand Canyon National Park. The catastrophic accident claimed 128 lives, including all 60 passengers and crew aboard Flight 718.
The magnitude of what had happened—and what could have happened to them—was overwhelming. The family had narrowly escaped becoming victims of one of the most devastating aviation disasters of that era. James's inexplicable feeling of dread had potentially saved their entire family.
The Family's Silent Gratitude
Following the tragedy, James and Mary rarely discussed the event, not even with their children who were too young at the time to comprehend what had occurred. The subject remained largely untouched until many years later when their youngest daughter Tracy (born in 1971) planned to take a flight at age 22.
It was then that James and Mary finally shared the story of her father's premonition. James, who later passed away in 2001, maintained that he had never experienced such a powerful intuitive warning before or since that fateful day in 1956. He never claimed to have psychic abilities—only that he had listened to a powerful gut feeling.
With Mary's permission, Tracy eventually wrote about this remarkable experience, which was later published in Fate magazine. The story stands as a compelling testament to the unexplained connections that sometimes seem to warn us of danger, and the importance of listening to one's intuition even when it defies logical explanation.
Insights and Personal Experiences
James's Powerful Intuition
In 1956, James Hughes experienced something that would forever change his perspective on intuitive feelings. While standing in a California airport preparing to board a flight back to Pittsburgh with his wife Mary and their two young daughters, James was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of dread. This wasn't a vision or hallucination—simply an intense gut feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Despite Mary's frustration, James remained adamant that the family must return by train instead of airplane. He couldn't explain the source of his anxiety, only that it was powerful enough that he refused to board their scheduled flight. The decision meant additional travel days, extra expenses, and managing restless children during a long journey, but James wouldn't budge.
This intuitive decision proved life-saving. While traveling home by rail, the Hughes family learned through an emergency radio broadcast that United Airlines Flight 718—their original flight—had collided with a TWA Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon. The devastating accident claimed all 128 lives aboard both aircraft, including all 60 passengers and crew on Flight 718.
Mary and James's Post-Experience Years
Following the near-tragic incident, Mary and James chose not to discuss the experience, even with their daughters who were too young to understand what had happened. The couple continued their life together, later welcoming a third daughter, Tracy, in 1971.
Mary, who had always maintained a casual interest in the paranormal—occasionally playing with tarot cards and using Ouija boards—found her perspective on unexplained phenomena significantly altered. Before the incident, she had treated such activities as harmless entertainment, sometimes jokingly claiming minor psychic abilities when finding misplaced items.
James maintained throughout his life that he never experienced another premonition like the one in 1956. Before his passing in 2001, he expressed uncertainty about whether his airport experience qualified as a truly psychic moment, describing it simply as a powerful instinct that demanded attention. The couple's relationship with the unexplained became a private but meaningful part of their shared history.
Tracy's Revelation of Family History
The Hughes parents finally shared their remarkable story when their youngest daughter Tracy turned 22 and planned to take a flight. Concerned for her safety and wanting her to understand the gravity of intuitive warnings, Mary and James revealed the details of James's premonition and their narrow escape from disaster.
This revelation profoundly impacted Tracy, who later sought her mother's permission to document the experience. With Mary's blessing, Tracy wrote about her father's life-saving intuition, and the account was eventually published in Fate magazine.
The publication brought attention to several key elements of James's experience:
The premonition came as a feeling rather than a vision
James had never experienced anything similar before or after
The family's decision to change travel plans saved four lives
Neither Mary nor the children sensed anything unusual that day
Through Tracy's writing, James's message about trusting one's instincts reached a wider audience, preserving this remarkable family story about the inexplicable ways intuition can sometimes intervene in our lives.
Cultural Connections
Links to Final Destination
The James Hughes incident bears striking similarities to the popular horror film series "Final Destination." In both cases, a powerful premonition saves lives from a transportation disaster. James experienced an overwhelming sense of doom at the airport in 1956, compelling him to move his family from their scheduled flight to a train journey instead. Though he couldn't articulate why, his intuition was undeniable.
Unlike the film's protagonist who experienced vivid visions, James simply had what he described as "a bad feeling" or "gut feeling" that something was wrong. This instinctual warning proved accurate when United Airlines Flight 718 collided with a TWA Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon, killing all 128 people aboard.
The key difference between reality and fiction lies in the aftermath. While "Final Destination" portrays death relentlessly pursuing those who escaped, James and Mary Hughes lived long lives without supernatural consequences. James passed away in 2001, having never experienced another premonition of that magnitude.
Psychic Phenomena in Film and Reality
Real-world accounts of premonitions often lack the dramatic visualization depicted in films. Consider these contrasting examples:
Film Portrayals Real-Life Reports Vivid visual premonitions More subtle "gut feelings" Specific details revealed General sense of danger Accompanied by dramatic signs Often ordinary moments Character usually has special abilities Normal people with unusual experiences
The Margaret Ketta case presents another fascinating example of apparent precognition. Her family received a mysterious phone call warning that "Butch is in the emergency room" - exactly two weeks before Robert "Butch" Ketta would suffer a massive heart attack and be rushed to the hospital.
This unexplained phenomenon raises questions about the nature of time and perception. Could it be:
A genuine premonition of future events
A cosmic warning system
An unexplained connection between consciousness and time
These real-world cases challenge us to consider whether intuitive warnings should be taken seriously, even when they defy logical explanation. As James Hughes noted, "when your gut tells you something, it's always good to listen."
Margaret Ketta's Mysterious Phone Call
The Puzzling Initial Call
Margaret Ketta received an unusual phone call one February afternoon in 1974 at her Ryne, Wisconsin home. Her 88-year-old father-in-law Nick informed her that "Butchie is in the hospital emergency room, they need some information on him." Margaret immediately assured Nick they would handle the situation. After hanging up, she informed her husband Matthew that his older brother Robert (known as "Butchie") had apparently been hospitalized.
Matthew was concerned and wanted to know which hospital his brother was in. Unfortunately, Margaret realized she hadn't asked that critical detail, nor had Nick mentioned it during their brief conversation. This oversight would lead to a perplexing situation.
Investigation into Butchie's Whereabouts
Margaret began methodically contacting local hospitals to locate Butchie. Neither hospital in their area had any record of a patient named Robert Ketta or matching his description. This strange development prompted the couple to wonder if Nick, despite his generally sound mental state, might have experienced some confusion due to his advanced age.
Matthew decided to take a direct approach by visiting a restaurant on Main Street that Butchie frequently patronized. As expected, he found his brother sitting at a table, perfectly fine. When Matthew explained the strange call from their father about a hospital needing information, Butchie clarified that he hadn't been hospitalized at all. He mentioned he had only visited his doctor earlier that week for medication to treat a sinus infection.
Nick's Insistence
While Matthew was speaking with Butchie, Margaret called Nick to discuss the confusion. Nick was adamant that he wasn't mistaken about the call. He repeated the exact message he had received: "Butchie is in the emergency room and they need some information."
The family dismissed the incident as a misunderstanding until approximately two weeks later. Around 1:00 PM on a Saturday afternoon, Margaret received another call - this time from a nurse at St. Luke's Hospital. The nurse informed her that Robert had been rushed in by ambulance after suffering a medical emergency. She requested that Margaret and Matthew come to the hospital immediately.
When they arrived, they found Butchie in the Intensive Care Unit following a massive heart attack. At just 46 years old, he had collapsed in his apartment hallway. Before collapsing, he had asked a neighbor to use her phone to call his brother. Instead, the neighbor called for emergency services when Butchie fell at her feet, his wallet open to a card with Matthew and Margaret's phone number.
Tragically, Butchie passed away six hours after his collapse. Margaret later reflected, "I believe the phone call two weeks earlier mentally prepared us for the shock to come and allowed Matt to have one last conversation with his brother."
Butchie's Heart Attack and the Unexpected Warning
The Mysterious Emergency Call
In February 1974, Margaret Ketta received a concerning phone call at her home in Wisconsin. The caller claimed to be from a hospital emergency room, stating that her brother-in-law Robert "Butchie" was admitted and they needed information. Margaret immediately informed her husband Matthew about the situation. The couple began calling local hospitals to locate Butchie, but strangely, no facility had any record of him being admitted.
Matthew decided to check Butchie's favorite restaurant, where he indeed found his brother sitting at a table, completely fine. Butchie confirmed he hadn't been to any hospital, though he had visited his doctor earlier that week for a sinus infection. Meanwhile, Margaret spoke with Matthew's father Nick, who insisted he had received a call about Butchie being in the emergency room.
The family initially dismissed the incident as confusion, perhaps due to Nick's advanced age of 88 years. Though Nick maintained his mental faculties were intact, the family set aside their concerns when Butchie appeared perfectly healthy.
The Final Moments and Impact of the Call
Approximately two weeks after the mysterious call, Margaret received another phone call at home. This time, a nurse from St. Luke's Hospital informed her that Butchie had been rushed to the emergency room by ambulance. Unlike the previous incident, this emergency was tragically real.
When Margaret and Matthew arrived at the hospital, they found Butchie in intensive care following a massive heart attack. At only 46 years old, he had collapsed in his apartment hallway while attempting to call his brother. A neighbor found him with his wallet open to Matthew's contact information but called an ambulance instead.
Despite medical intervention, Butchie passed away just six hours after his collapse. Margaret later reflected that the unexplained phone call two weeks earlier had somehow prepared them for this tragedy. "I believe the phone call two weeks earlier mentally prepared us for the shock to come and allowed Matt to have one last conversation with his brother," she noted.
The timing was remarkably similar – both calls came around 1:00 PM, and both conveyed the same urgent message about Butchie being in an emergency room. This final conversation between the brothers became an unexpected gift amid the tragedy that followed.
Philosophical Reflections on Intuitive Warnings
The Origins of Intuitive Feelings
The human experience often includes unexplainable moments when we feel something is wrong without logical explanation. James Hughes experienced this phenomenon in 1956 while waiting to board a flight from California with his family. Despite having no vision or explicit warning, he felt an overwhelming sense of doom. This gut feeling was so powerful that he insisted his family return to Pittsburgh by train instead of their scheduled flight, despite his wife Mary's frustration about extending their journey.
His intuition proved remarkable when they later learned that United Airlines flight 718—their original booking—had collided with another aircraft over the Grand Canyon, killing all 128 people aboard. James later noted he had never experienced such a feeling before or since in his life, yet this singular moment of intuition saved his entire family.
What drives these unexplained sensations? Some might dismiss them as coincidence or anxiety, but others suggest they represent subconscious processing of subtle environmental cues our conscious mind hasn't recognized yet. The human brain constantly analyzes information below our awareness threshold, potentially explaining how we "know" something without knowing why.
Mysterious Forewarnings and Unexplained Phenomena
Some intuitive experiences seem to transcend conventional explanation, suggesting connections beyond our current understanding. The Ketta family experienced this when they received a mysterious phone call claiming that "Butch is in the emergency room." The call proved false at the time—Butch was healthy and eating at a local restaurant—yet two weeks later, almost to the hour, he suffered a massive heart attack and was indeed rushed to the emergency room.
This type of experience raises profound questions about the nature of time and consciousness. Was this early call merely coincidence, or something more? Margaret Ketta believed the first call "mentally prepared us for the shock to come and allowed Matt to have one last conversation with his brother."
These experiences challenge our understanding of reality in several ways:
Temporal connections: Do certain events echo across time?
Consciousness beyond the physical: Can warnings manifest through unexpected channels?
Pattern recognition: Are these meaningful connections or human tendency to find patterns?
The phenomenon shares similarities with fictional portrayals like "Final Destination," though without the supernatural pursuit. Both involve intuitive warnings that save lives. While skeptics attribute such experiences to coincidence, these accounts invite us to consider whether our instincts sometimes connect to broader awareness beyond our rational understanding.
