1979 — Oct 27/28, Mexican Office of General Prosecutor Plane Crash, ~San Ysidro, CA–10
— 10 AP. “Four prisoners perish in crash.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 10-29-1979, p. 5.
— 10 Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. “Beechcraft…27 October 1979.”
— 10 B3A. “Crash of a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 in San Ysidro: 10 killed.”
— 10 Daily Gleaner, Kingston, Canada. “10 perish in plane crash.” 10-30-1979, p. 15.
— 10 Kebabjian, Richard. Planecrashinfo.com. “1979.”
Narrative Information
ASN:
“Date: Saturday 27 October 1979[1]
“Time: 23:46
“Type: Beechcraft 200 Super King Air
“Operator: Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR)
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
“Passengers: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
“Total: Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10
….
“Location: N of San Ysidro, CA
“Phase: Approach
….
“Departure Airport: Monterrey (unknown airport), Mexico
“Destination airport: Tijuana-Rodriquez Airport (TIJ/MMTJ), Mexico.
“Narrative:
“A Beechcraft 200 Super King Air airplane, operated by the Mexican Office of the General Prosecutor, hit a power pole at a height of 14 feet while on approach to Tijuana-Rodriguez Airport (TIJ), Mexico. The runway localizer was inoperative at the time of the accident.” (ASN)
Kebabjian: “Accident Details.
“Date: October 27, 1979
….
“Summary: Crashed while on final approach. The plane hit a pole, 14 feet above ground level, 2 miles from the approach end of the runway. The localizer was inoperative and the crew was using VOR/DME. Improper IFR operation.” (Kebabjian, Richard. Planecrashinfo.com. “1979.”)
Newspapers
Oct 29, AP: “San Diego (AP) — Four American prisoners headed for a Tijuana border exchange were among 10 persons killed when a Mexican government plane crashed into a telephone pole and burst into flames, officials said. Also killed in the Sunday morning crash [Oct 28] were the two Mexican pilots and four prison guards, according to the U.S. consulate in Tijuana, Mexico.
“San Diego police Lt. Dave Spisak said the pilot of the Otter turboprop apparently became disoriented in fog, wandered over the Mexican border and crashed a half-mile north of the international border between Tijuana and the rugged Otay Mesa area of San Diego.
“The four Americans were on their way to the United States as part of a prisoner exchange program. They were identified as Steve Michael Olsen of Imperial Beach; Julie Ann Sheldon of Cambria; Lotus Mary Sanchez of Garden Grove, and Gerald John Lapinski, hometown unknown. Two of the prisoners, Olsen and Ms. Sheldon, were married in prison and were returning to the United States to reunite with their 9-month-old daughter, authorities said. The couple was arrested on marijuana charges while vacationing in Mexico about a year ago and their child was being cared for by Mr. Sheldon’s mother…
“The prisoner exchange program, in effect since December 1977, allows American prisoners in Mexico and Mexican prisoners in the United States to finish their terms in their native countries.” (AP. “Four prisoners perish in crash.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 10-29-1979, p5.)
Oct 29: “Mexico City, Oct 29. (CANA Reuter). Ten people including four American prisoners were killed when their plane crashed into an electric pylon in bad weather near the Mexican border, a government spokesman said today. The spokesman said the Mexican Government plane was transporting the four prisoners to the border town of Tijuana for transfer to the U.S… when the accident occurred yesterday [Oct 28].” (Daily Gleaner, Kingston, Canada. “10 perish in plane crash.” 10-30-1979, p. 15.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Four prisoners perish in crash.” Times-Standard, Eureka, CA, 10-29-1979, p. 5. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-oct-29-1979-p-5/?tag
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. Accident Description. Beechcraft…27 Oct 1979. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19791027-1
B3A (Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives). “Crash of a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 in San Ysidro: 10 killed.” Geneva Switzerland. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/1979/archives/crash-of-a-beechcraft-super-king-air-200-in-san-ysidro-10-killed/
Daily Gleaner, Kingston, Canada. “10 perish in plane crash.” 10-30-1979, p. 15. Accessed 7-20-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-gleaner-oct-30-1979-p-15/?tag=
Kebabjian, Richard. Planecrashinfo.com. “1979.” Accessed 7-20-2017 at: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1979/1979-72.htm
[1] According to newspaper reports dated Oct 29, the plane crashed on Oct 28.