Begich-Boggs flight disappearance article

[jprax]

https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/news/pilot-talk/2020/09/21/1972-cessna-310c-alaska-disappearance/

This is an interesting article on the disappearance of congressmen Nick Begich and Hale Boggs 50 years ago. My brother was taking flying lessons at Pan-Alaska and had met Don Jons a couple of times in Fairbanks. I have not read all the other articles mentioned but it is odd that there was no further radio contact, you would think there would have been if they were fighting weather. I believe the requirement for an ELT to be installed came after this flight.

[mvivion]

Yes, that accident, resulting in the loss of two Congressmen, caused the Congress to pass legislation requiring ELTs in light aircraft. The search for this aircraft was the most extensive to date.

MTV

[stewartb]

And chances are an ELT wouldn’t have been heard. I had a friend and a couple of neighbors lost under very similar circumstances 25-ish years later. I remember both of those accidents well.

[mam90]

Stewart, I assume you’re referring to the 340 out of Yakutat. I have a connection to that tragic accident as well. Sad day.

[scout88305]

This guy from my hometown, was tough on his father a career pilot."Disappearance in an Alaskan valley : Air Facts Journal" https://airfactsjournal.com/2013/12/...laskan-valley/

[mvivion]

This guy from my hometown, was tough on his father a career pilot."Disappearance in an Alaskan valley : Air Facts Journal" https://airfactsjournal.com/2013/12/...laskan-valley/

A compelling article, and rings true today. To that point, one of the responses at the end of the story was written by a good friend who perished in a similar weather related accident. RIP, Dave, and tailwinds.

MTV

[StalledOut]

Wow, that story of the missing 401 in Chulitna Pass got me. I have communication microwave sites through there and fly to them in R44's quite often. Sometimes we cruise along at 100 and sometimes we creep ahead at 30 in crap fog and mist. Several times we've had to go more east and circle back. Those inter-tie lines are within site of the com sites but it's too spendy to build a substation there so we still have out own generation systems. Anyway, there is one crash still in the trees we've passed over many times. It's just 100 feet below one of the ridge lines. I am sure it's been checked out but makes me wonder now. Trying to think what drainage it's on. Between Curry and Miami Lake.

[BC12D-4-85]

There's lots of options in that Pass to take the wrong turn in weather. I assume GPS helps but prior to that I recall having to circle a bit until I found the railroad again.

Gary

[BC12D-4-85]

... Anyway, there is one crash still in the trees we've passed over many times. It's just 100 feet below one of the ridge lines. I am sure it's been checked out but makes me wonder now. Trying to think what drainage it's on. Between Curry and Miami Lake.

Maybe call the Anchorage NTSB and ask about the site?

Gary

[mvivion]

Wow, that story of the missing 401 in Chulitna Pass got me. I have communication microwave sites through there and fly to them in R44's quite often. Sometimes we cruise along at 100 and sometimes we creep ahead at 30 in crap fog and mist. Several times we've had to go more east and circle back. Those inter-tie lines are within site of the com sites but it's too spendy to build a substation there so we still have out own generation systems. Anyway, there is one crash still in the trees we've passed over many times. It's just 100 feet below one of the ridge lines. I am sure it's been checked out but makes me wonder now. Trying to think what drainage it's on. Between Curry and Miami Lake.

Don’t assume a crash site has been found. We found a very old one in Kodiak, assumed it’d been found, but checked with CG and nope. Still had remains.

MTV

[skywagon8a]

There is a record of all known accidents at Elmendorf RCC. If you question a particular crash site, call them.
To contact the RCC, please call 800-420-7230 (emergency long distance) or 551-7230 (local emergency and non-emergency).
https://www.jber.jb.mil/Units/11af/akrcc.aspx

[mvivion]

There is a record of all known accidents at Elmendorf RCC. If you question a particular crash site, call them.
To contact the RCC, please call 800-420-7230 (emergency long distance) or 551-7230 (local emergency and non-emergency).
https://www.jber.jb.mil/Units/11af/akrcc.aspx

Yes, Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak used to maintain a map of all known crashes on Kodiak and adjacent islands. I reported an obviously old wreck to them, got no response. Next spring, we were tagging bears in that neighborhood, helo needed to get fuel, so dropped the crew off at that wreck. They found human remains. Turned out the site wasn’t on the CG or Elmendorf’s maps.

Long story, but Troopers worked for months to figure out who it was. A phone call, precipitated by a page 12 (or??) LA Times article, solved the mystery from the early 50s. The pilots Son was the one who called. Amazing story. Never assume a wreck has been found.

MTV