Page 17 - 2003 DT 12 Issues

Wha t’ s Insi d e !
Featured Articles
Tragedy on Mt. Potosi..................................1
Boot Tracks.................................................5
Special
Hooked on Cacti, Part 1..............................6
Quiz............................................................7
Departments
March 2 0 0 3 News & Notes............................................2
Programs & Hikes........................................4
Desk Schedule............................................6
Bulletin Board.............................................8

Tragedy on
Tragedy on
Tragedy on ○ ○ “ceiling and visibility were unlimited.” ○ Nine officers were there with military
Tragedy on
Tragedy on
○
○ What had gone wrong? Could the ○ orders allowing them to bump any civil-
○
Mount Potosi
○
Mount Potosi
Mount Potosi ○ absence of beacons have been a contrib- ○ ians off a commercial airliner. But Carole
Mount Potosi
Mount Potosi
○ made the case that she had just sold $2
○ uting factor? The Fourth Interceptor
○
○
Salt Lake route, was
by Chuck Kleber ○ Command had ordered all beacons ○ million worth of War Bonds and must
contacted by radio. Had he seen ○ ○ ○ have “some rank.” Her charm persuaded
anuary 16, 1942. The weather in ○ blacked out as a precautionary measure
“Flight 3” anywhere? Cheney ○ ○
Southern Nevada is clear and it is against possible Japanese air attack. But ○ the officials and they gave in. The lucky
replied that he had seen a fire on ○
J early evening, around 7:30 pm. At the weather was clear. Pilot Wayne Will- ○ ones were three women and a man who
a mountain peak. “It looked like a
TWA’s office in Las Vegas, a dramatic ○ iams may have been taking a shortcut to ○ gave up their seats.
○
pile of debris burning,” and then “I
○
phone call comes through. It is from O. ○ make up time. During the post-crash in- ○ Rescue efforts were immedi-
don’t see any signs of life.”
○
○
E. Salyer, purchasing agent at the Blue ○ vestigation, it was revealed that he had ○ ately organized under Major W. H.
Cheney later confirmed that
Diamond Mine. “A plane has crashed into ○ been reprimanded in the past for not fol- ○ Anderson, an Army Air Force officer
○
“ceiling and visibility were
Table Mountain. There was a terrific ex- ○ from McCarran Field. Among the
○
unlimited.”
plosion.” The location was about 30 miles ○ rescuers were mounted cowboys and
○
southwest of Las Vegas. Dan Yanish, a ○ Tweed Wilson, an Indian who lived
What had gone wrong?
watchman at the mine, was another ○ ○ in the extremely rugged area, now
Could the absence of beacons
witness. He recalled that the plane was ○ ○ covered with snow. One searcher
been a contributing factor? The
fading into the distance over the Charles- ○ from the Las Vegas police force re-
○
Fourth Interceptor Command had
ton Range when “I saw a flash and then ○ turned with the soles of his shoes torn
○
ordered all beacons blacked out
big tongues of flame rising from the ○ loose. When they got to the scene of
○
as a precautionary measure
mountainside.” ○ the crash it was near-total devasta-
against possible Japanese air ○ ○ tion. Flight plan records had been
That aircraft was an airliner bound
for Burbank, Calif., and on board was one ○ ○ destroyed in the impact along with
attack. But the weather was clear.
of Hollywood’s brightest and most tal- ○ lowing precise flight instructions. In any ○ the navigational log. Only a fragment
Pilot Wayne Williams may have
○
ented stars, Carole Lombard. She was ○ event, the plane was new and all instru- ○ ○ of the radio maintenance sheet was dis-
been taking a shortcut to make up
○ ○
also the wife of Clark Gable. All 22 ○ ments were in good working order. For ○ covered, and this gave no clue.
time. During the post-crash
○
people aboard the Douglas DC-3 were ○ some reason, Flight 3 was nearly seven ○ ○ When Clark Gable heard about the
investigation, it was revealed that
killed, including Lombard’s mother, ○ ○ miles off course when it hit a snow-clad ○ ○ crash, he immediately chartered a plane
he had been reprimanded in the
MGM publicity executives, the crew and ○ peak at the 8,300- foot level. A few hun- ○ for Las Vegas. On the way up, Howard
○
past for not following precise flight
several members of the armed services. ○ dred yards to the left and it would have ○ ○ Strickling, an MGM executive, said
○
instructions. In any event, the
It appeared from the start that survivors ○ been in the clear. ○ that Gable “. . . sensed what had
plane was new and all instruments ○
were unlikely. Arthur Cheney, pilot of ○ Chance played a big part earlier in ○ happened . . . you knew you shouldn’t
were in good working order. For ○ ○
another airliner on the Burbank/Salt Lake ○ the flight. Carole Lombard had been in ○ talk to him.” On reaching the foot of the
some reason, Flight 3 was nearly ○
route, was contacted by radio. Had he ○ Indianapolis on a War Bond drive. When ○ mountain, Gable wanted to go with the
○
seven miles off course when it hit ○
seen “Flight 3” anywhere? Cheney ○ it came time to return to Hollywood, ○ rescue group, but he was persuaded to
○
a snow-clad peak at the 8,300-
replied that he had seen a fire on a moun- ○ some passengers wanted to go by train, ○ ○ stay behind. It was just as well, for the
foot level. A few hundred yards to ○ ○
tain peak. “It looked like a pile of debris ○ but the adventurous actress held out for ○ plane was demolished and the beautiful
the left and it would have been in ○
burning,” and then “I don’t see any signs ○ flying. This fateful decision was com- ○
the clear. ○ ○
of life.” Cheney later confirmed that ○ pounded during a stop in Albuquerque. ○ Tragedy, continued on page 7