1971 — June 27, takeoff crash, Shelter Cove Sea Park company plane, Shelter Cove, CA–17

–17 Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). California 1970-1979. N90627.
–17 AirDisaster.Com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 06281971.
–17 Aviation Safety Network. Lake Riverside Estates, Shelter Cove Airport, CA, 28 Jun 1971.
–17 Notable California Aviation Disasters. “The 1970s.” Oct 23, 2008 update.
–17 Times Standard, Eureka, CA. “Big Question: Why Didn’t It Get Airborne?” 6-29-1971, p.1.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network: “The DC-3 wasn’t able to gain height on take-off from the 3000 feet Shelter Cove runway. The wheels left the ground twice, but the aircraft touched down again 150 feet past the runway end. The undercarriage struck a transformer and the no. 1 engine struck the roof of a sewage disposal building. The DC-3 became airborne again and arched downward over the cliffs, into the ocean and crashed 150 yds offshore. The pilot had failed to remove the rudder and elevator gust locks.” (Aviation Safety Network. Lake Riverside Estates, Shelter Cove Airport, CA, 28 Jun 1971.)

Baugher: “Douglas C-47-DL….38614 (c/n 4642) to USAAF Aug 21, 1942 – Otaru Aug 06, 1943 – USA Apr 18, 1944. To civil registry as NC67651 (No details), NC90627 (Standard Air Dec 1953 – Aloha Airlines 1954 – Lsd to FAA from ? to Jun 30, 1964 – Various owners/operators). Crashed Shelter Cove, 50m south of Eureka, CA. Jun 27, 1971 when flying with Lake Riverside Estates.” (Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-30848 to 41-39600). 9-4-2011 rev.)

Notable California Aviation Disasters:
“Date / Time: Sunday, June 27, 1971 / Time 7:00 p.m.
“Operator / Flight No.: Sea Park Ltd. charter service / Non-Commercial
“Location: Shelter Cove, Humboldt County, Calif.

“Details and Probable Cause: The vintage Douglas DC-3 (N90627) was on a return trip to Los Angeles, with an intermediate stop in San Jose, from a private airstrip at Shelter Cove, a coastal resort and real estate development, and was carrying members of the resort company’s executive and sales staffs.

“Prior to takeoff, the pilot failed to remove the wind-gust locks that secured the aircraft’s rudder and elevator. With these control surfaces immobilized, the aircraft was unable to gain height during its takeoff roll.

“The plane, with 21 passengers and three crew on board, bounced several times along the runway, struck an electrical transformer and a building, became briefly airborne, soared over a cliff and plunged into the Pacific Ocean 150 yards offshore.

“Two crew members and 15 of the passengers died in the crash. The surviving crew member and three of the passengers received serious injuries in the mishap; the remaining three passengers sustained minor injuries.

“Pilot error.
“Fatalities: 17 — 15 passengers and 2 crew members.” (Notable California Aviation Disasters. “The 1970s.” Oct 23, 2008 update.)

Newspaper

June 28, Eureka Times Standard: “By Dan Walters. Shelter Cove – a weekend tour to this resort development ended in tragedy Sunday evening [June 27] when a when-engine airliner with 23 persons aboard crashed into offshore rocks on takeoff from Shelter Cove Airport. Sixteen of the passengers were killed or were missing today. Seven persons survived the initial crash and were saved from the pounding surf by their own efforts or by heroic rescue campaign mounted by local residents and visiting sport and commercial fishermen.

“Some of those who survived the crash died in the waves which swept them from precarious perches on bits of wreckage.

“The mishap knocked out a power station here, leaving the area without electricity for two hours, and also damaged the community’s sewage treatment facility, releasing deadly chlorine gas into the air. There was no immediate threat from the gas and the area around the plant was cleared while an expert flew to the scene to cap the gas leak.

“All but one of the victims were sales representatives for Shelter Cove Sea Park Ltd. of Los Angeles, developer of Shelter Cove resort and homesites. The pilot and co-pilot of the company-owned plane perished but the stewardess survived and officials hoped she could shed light today on a confused passenger list.

“The Coast Guard said this morning 12 bodies had ben recovered and search had been resumed at dawn today for the remaining four. Two of the four bodies were found today. The total number of passengers aboard the DC-3 varied throughout the night but the Coast Guard and the company pinpointed it at 23.

“One of the victims was reported to be Mrs. Pat Wilson of Shelter Cove, who had caught a ride to the Bay Area aboard the craft.

“There were a number of witnesses to the tragedy. Mr. and Mrs. William Pass were watching from the deck of their home as the DC-3 rolled t the end of the runway, it failed to gain altitude, dipped below runway level, struck the power station, clipped the top off the sewage plant building and then slammed head-on into an offshore rock, breaking in half.

“Shelter Cove manager Jim Dawson was also watching. The takeoff, he said, ‘appeared to be normal’ but the plane never gained altitude and disappeared below the bluff. He heard as it struck the sewage plant and ‘dove into the ocean.’….

“A complete list of passengers was withheld pending notification of next of kin. There was some confusion throughout the night as to the total number aboard the plane and their identity. Sheriff’s Lt. Roy Summons said some of the salesmen who flew to Shelter Cove from Southern California and the Bay Area switched to automobiles for the return trip and others who drove north decided to fly home. This rendered the original passenger list doubtful and efforts were underway today to compile a complete list of those aboard, perhaps with the help of the stewardess.

“The pilot and co-pilot were identified by federal aviation officials as Merl Bessler and Lester Hall….

“The flight originated in Southern California Friday and the DC-3 stopped in San Jose to pick up Bay Area passengers. It was to follow the same route on the homeward leg of the weekend jaunt….” (Times Standard, Eureka, CA. “16 Dead in Cove Plane Crash.” 6-28-1971, p. 1.)

June 29: “Shelter Cove – ‘What we are all wondering is why it didn’t get airborne.’ Humboldt County Aviation Director Dave Zebo, with those words, summed up the job facing federal investigators as they attempt to reconstruct the crash of a DC-3 airliner carrying 24 persons which ran off the end of the Shelter Cove runway Sunday evening and smashed into an offshore rock, killing 17 of those aboard….Witnesses agree that the twin-engine craft never became airborne although it ran down 3,300 feet of runway. The craft tore into a road at the end of the runway, ploughed through a power substation, took the roof off a sewage treatment plant building and smashed head-on into a rock some 50 yards offshore, breaking up. Most of the survivors came from the rear section of the plane, sections of which floated for some minutes before sinking in the pounding surf….

“Through the first hours following the crash the number of persons aboard the craft had been in doubt. Finally the Shelter Cove real estate firm and the Coast Guard agreed upon 23. Later Monday the number was raised to 24….There are, therefore, believed to be 17 victims of the crash with six bodies still uncovered this morning….

“Coroner Edward Nielson late Monday released a list of the victims. Killed were: [we break paragraph into single lines]

The pilot Les Hall, 45,… Seal Beach, Calif.;
Co-pilot Merrill Bassler, 49…Seal Beach;
Robert Swimmer, 42, Rancho La Costa;
James F. Stevens, Sr., 59…Palm Springs;
Harry Paul, 55…Santa Monica;
Edward Mott, 45…San Jose;
Cort Harry Van Wert, 58…Oakland;
George Wolf, 27…Agoura;
Harvey Gregory, 60…San Diego;
Marion Maslen, age unknown…Woodland Hills;
Patricia Wilson, 35, of Star Route, Whitehorn, Shelter Cove.

“Still missing:

Carl Peel, age unknown…San Francisco;
James Courtney, age unknown of National City;
Donald Johansen, age unknown…Fountain Valley;
D. Wayne Willis, no age,…Grenada Hills;
Bob Stiles, no age…San Mateo.

(Times Standard, Eureka, CA. “Big Question: Why Didn’t It Get Airborne?” 6-29-1971, p.1.)

Sources

Aircraft Crashes Record Office (Geneva, Switzerland). California 1970-1979. Accessed 3/3/2009 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/Pays/Etats-Unis/Californie-1970-1979.htm

AirDisaster.Com. Accident Database. Accident Synopsis 06281971. Accessed at: http://www.airdisaster.com/cgi-bin/view_details.cgi?date=06281971&reg=N90627&airline=Charter

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Lake Riverside Estates, Shelter Cove Airport, CA, 28 Jun 1971. Accessed at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19710628-0

Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-30848 to 41-39600). Sep 4, 2011 revision. Accessed 12-8-2011 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1941_5.html

Notable California Aviation Disasters. “The 1970s.” Oct 23, 2008 update. Accessed 10/18/2009 at: http://www.jaydeebee1.com/crash70s.html

Times Standard, Eureka, CA. “16 Dead in Cove Plane Crash.” 6-28-1971, p. 1.
Accessed 2-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-jun-28-1971-p-1/

Times Standard, Eureka, CA. “Big Question: Why Didn’t It Get Airborne?” 6-29-1971, p.1. Accessed 2-27-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/eureka-times-standard-jun-29-1971-p-1/