Shattered Lives: The Faces Of A Tragic Flight

The Maillets, both 37, were taking their 14-month-old son, Robert, to meet his French grandparents for the first time. They had tried to go in June but couldn't get plane tickets because of the World Cup. They almost missed Flight 111, too, when their connection from Baton Rouge was canceled because of Hurricane Earl. Instead, the family drove to New Orleans and got to New York with minutes to spare.

Joe LaMotta New York, N.Y.

In the boxing ring he was known as the Raging Bull, but life keeps knocking down former middleweight champ Jake LaMotta. LaMotta's younger son, Joe, 49, was flying Swissair Flight 111 on his way to promote LaMotta Food Products, a family-owned line of tomato sauces that is also sold on QVC. Joe, who was once a Golden Gloves boxer like his dad, as well as an intercollegiate wrestling champ, handled many of his father's business interests, including arranging personal appearances around the world. Though he has four daughters, LaMotta had only one other son, Jake Jr., 51, who died in February of cancer. "What is God trying to tell me?" LaMotta says.

Cherie Hastie Marietta, Ga. Caroline Smith Augusta, Ga.

Tragedy seems to haunt the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta, Ga. In 1996 two of its parishioners died in the TWA Flight 800 crash. Last year another church member was killed in the Korean Air disaster that claimed 227 victims in Guam. Now, in Canada, two more Johnson Ferry worshipers, Hastie, 59, and Smith have died in the Swissair crash. Smith and Hastie, who had been next-door neighbors for many years, were going to visit Hastie's daughter, Elizabeth, who is studying in Switzerland. "It's never easy," says senior pastor Bryant Wright. "We miss them all."

Klaus Kinder-Geiger Port Jefferson, N.Y.