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— 22  Aviation Forum. “US military accidents in 1972 to 2000 in Okinawa, Japan.”[1]

— 21  Stars and Stripes, Pacific. “Marine Chopper Crashes; 21 Dead.” 3-21-1989, p. 1.[2]

— 19  Los Angeles Times, CA. “Helicopter Accidents South Korea.” 3-28-1989.[3]

— 19  Stars and Stripes, Pacific. “Engine Eyed in Helo Crash.“ 3-22-1989, p. 2.

— 19  Sweetman, Jack. American Naval History: An Illustrated Chronology…  2002, p. 264.

— 19  The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Copter Crash Kills 19 Marines.” 3-20-1989, p. 3.

— 19  USMC History Division. “Yearly Chronologies of the United States Marine Corps –1989.”

 

Narrative Information

 

USMC: “17, 20 March – Two helicopter crashes within three days left 23 servicemen dead and many more injured during Exercise Team Spirit 89 in South Korea. Four Marines on board a CH-46E from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 died on 17 March when their helicopter crashed near the town of Tok Sok Ri. Three days later on 20 March, a CH-53D from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 363 crashed near the port of Pohang. Of the 34 men on board, 18 Marines and one corpsman were killed.” (USMC History Division. “Yearly Chronologies of the United States Marine Corps – 1989.”)

 

Aviation Forum: “20 March 1989: In South Korea, near Po Hang City, in hill/mountain region, an US CH-53D crashed, during the South Korea-US joint military exercise Team Spirit 89. It belonged to Futenma AB. 22 killed, 15 heavily wounded.” (Aviation Forum. “US military accidents in 1972 to 2000 in Okinawa, Japan.”)

 

March 20, AP: “Seoul, South Korea (AP) – At least 19 U.S. Marines were killed and 16 injured today when a helicopter crashed in remote mountains, officials said.  It was the second Marine chopper disaster in South Korea in four days. The troop-carrying CH53-D Sea Stallion helicopter crashed near the port of Pohang on the southeast coast while taking part in exercises with South Korean forces, a Marine Corps spokesman said.

 

“All 34 Marines aboard the aircraft were killed or injured, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity.  The injured included 15 Marines aboard the helicopter and one hurt on the ground during rescue operations.  Nine of the injured were in very serious condition.

 

“Marine officials initially said 22 Marines were killed in the crash, but later lowered the figure to 19 because of confusion in early reports from the crash site.

 

“The helicopter was carrying four crewmen and 30 infantrymen when it crashed, the spokesman said.  The infantrymen were from the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines of the 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., he said.

 

“Marine officials said they had no immediate word on what caused the crash. Little of the helicopter was left but charred pieces of wreckage.

 

“Yonhap, the South Korean news agency, cited South Korean military officials as saying the helicopter exploded in the air and burst into flames before slamming into the ground. The report said the helicopter appeared to have a problem in its engines.

 

A Seoul newspaper, the Kookmin Ilbo, quoted a farmer who saw the crash as saying two helicopters were hovering about 250 feet above the ground when one suddenly turned upside down and plunged into a creek. About 10 soldiers leaped out of the helicopter as it hit the ground, the report said.

 

“Investigators were sent to the crash site to try to determine what happened, but no quick results were expected, the Marine spokesman said. It was the second fatal crash involving a Marine helicopter in South Korea in four days. All four Marines aboard a CH-46 helicopter were killed Friday when their craft crashed in a rice paddy on the east coast.

 

“Marine investigators are still trying to determine the cause of Friday’s crash. Both helicopters were taking part in annual “Team Spirit” exercises involving about 200,000 South Korean and U.S. troops.  The exercises practice bringing in U.S. reinforcements in the event of a communist North Korean attack.  Both aircraft were operating temporarily from the USS Belleau Wood, a Marine assault ship located off the South Korean coast….” (The Capital, Annapolis, MD.  “Copter Crash Kills 19 Marines.” 3-20-1989, p. 3.)

 

March 21, AP/Stars and Stripes: “Seoul, South Korea (AP) – A U.S. Marine helicopter carrying 34 Marines crashed in an isolated mountain region on South Korea’s southeast coast early Monday and 21 were killed, U.S. authorities said. Thirteen Marines were injured, some critically, U.S. authorities said. The most critical were evacuated to an amphibious assault ship off the Korean coast, the USS Belleau Wood, and the rest were flown to Seoul, authorities said.

 

“The Marines were participating in the annual joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise Team Spirit, made up of 60,000 U.S. troops and 140,000 South Korean forces.

 

“A U.S. military statement said the helicopter was assigned to the 1^st Marine Air Wing, Futenma Marine Corps Air Station, Okinawa, Japan. It carried a crew of four and 30 U.S. military passengers….

 

“The U.S. military said the crash occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in a rugged, mountainous area south of Pohang, an industrial port on the southeast coast of South Korea….” (Stars and Stripes, Pacific.  “Marine Chopper Crashes; 21 Dead.” 3-21-1989, p. 1.)

 

March 22, LA Times: “Associated Press. Washington — The Marine Corps on Tuesday released a list of 18 of the 19 Marines killed Monday in the crash of a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter near P’ohang, South Korea. It identified the victims as:

 

Cpl. John A. Alafonso, 24, of Aztec, N.M., a rifleman.

Lance Cpl. Richard R. Anglin, 22, of Redlands, Calif., a rifleman.

2nd Lt. Darren M. Bell, 23, of Tampa, Fla., an infantry officer.

Pfc. Saul D. Castro Jr., 18, of Lamont, Calif., a rifleman.

Lance Cpl. Kurt R. Decker, 21, of Toledo, Ohio, a rifleman.

Lance Cpl. Michael A. Depew, 20, of Red Lion, Pa., a rifleman.

Lance Cpl. Andrew A. Hernandez, 19, of Arnold, Md., a machine gunner.

Lance Cpl. Ronald A. Johnson, 21, of Simi Valley, Calif., a machine gunner.

Lance Cpl. Anthony P. Longstaff, 25, of Waldo, Wis., a machine gunner.

Cpl. Brian K. McClusky, 22, of Brazil, Ind., a rifleman.

Lance Cpl. Wilbur S. McDaniel, 19, of Carthage, Tex., a rifleman.

Capt. Michael McGreevy, 27, of Hazlet, N.J., a pilot.

1st Lt. David M. Pimple, 25, of Cochise, Ariz., a pilot.

Lance Cpl. Carl B. Ratcliff, 21, of Bluefield, W. Va., a machine gunner.

Lance Cpl. Keith N. Silha, 22, of Onalaska, Wis., a machine gunner.

Staff Sgt. Jorge Verdugo, 27, of Nogales, Ariz., a platoon sergeant.

1st Lt. Kevin M. Wooten, 27, of Bowie, Md., an infantry officer.

Sgt. James D. Zinser, 30, of Portland, Ore., a machine gunner.

 

“The Marine Corps said the name of the 19th victim, a Navy hospital corpsman, was withheld because his relatives had not yet been contacted….” (Los Angeles Times. “Marine Corps Names 18 Killed in Copter Crash.” 3-22-1989.)

 

March 22, Stars and Stripes: “Seoul, South Korea – Investigators Tuesday sifted through the charred wreckage of an Okinawa-based CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter that crashed Monday during a Team Spirit training operation, but U.S authorities in Seoul said they still had no indication of what caused the disaster that killed 19 Marines.

 

“ROK SOURCES said it resulted from “some sort of engine malfunction” but a U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command spokesman could not confirm that. He said he had only sketchy information on the crash, attributing that to poor communications between Seoul and the crash site nearly 200 miles south.

 

“Authorities did revise the death toll, however. They now say 19 Marines aboard the 1^st Marine Aircraft Wing helicopter died and 15 others were injured. The spokesman said Marines aboard the aircraft were from C Co., 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif.  They were assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit on the assault ship.

 

“The helicopter was part of Heavy Marine Helicopter Squadron 363 from Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, Calif., on six month deployment at Camp Hansen on Okinawa — forward deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma there.

 

“The Belleau Wood is one of 25 U.S. 7th Fleet ships taking part in Team Spirit….

 

“Local newsmen who reached the CH-53 crash site at mid-morning Monday quoted an unidentified South Korean military source as saying the crash resulted from engine malfunction.  The Newsmen said that source told them the helicopter had been taking part in an assault exercise when the crash occurred. They said there were conflicting reports at the scene. A farmer identified as Kim Yong-ho, 46, told them he saw two helicopters fly overhead as he was going to his fields shortly after dawn. Kim reportedly said one of the helicopters suddenly heeled over in the air and plummeted to earth. He said 10 men leaped from the wreckage and ran to safety seconds before the crumpled craft burst into flames.

 

“Newsmen said a second unidentified witness told them he heard an explosion and saw smoke from the aircraft moments before it crashed.

 

“The CFC spokesman in Seoul could not confirm any of those reports. “All I can say is that there are numerous conflicting reports and we don’t have anything official,” he said.

 

“Initial reports were that the crash occurred 35 miles south of Pohang, but the CFC said later the

site was 15 miles west of the city. Pohang is 170 miles south of Seoul and is the base camp for III Marine Expeditionary Force troops involved in Team Spirit….” (Stars and Stripes, Pacific.  “Engine Eyed in Helo Crash.“ 3-22-1989, pp. 1-2.)

 

March 22, AP/ Stars and Stripes: “The Associated Press.  The Sea Stallion helicopter that crashed in South Korea Monday is one of a family of heavy assault choppers.

 

“CAPACITY: 55 soldiers, or cargo, plus a crew of four. (A Marine spokesman on Okinawa said Marine guidelines prescribe a maximum of 37 troops, along with pilot, co-pilot and two other crewmen.)

 

“DIMENSIONS: 67 feet, 2 inches long; 24 feet, 11 inches high.

 

“WEIGHT: Empty, 23,485 pounds; loaded, 42,000 pounds.

 

“RANGE: 540 miles.

 

“TOP SPEED: 196 mph.

 

“MANUFACTURER: Sikorsky Aircraft of Stratford, Conn.

 

“HISTORY: First ordered by the Marines in 1969 as a successor to the CH-53A and used in the Vietnam War. An advanced version, the CH-53E Super Stallion, began service in 1981. The Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force also use versions of the helicopter with differing model names and numbers. A similar model, the RH-53D Sea Stallion, was used in the abortive U.S. mission to rescue American hostages held in Iran.” (Stars and Stripes, Pacific. “Sea Stallion at a Glance.” 3-22-1989, p. 2.)

 

March 28, LA Times: “As a band played “The Marine Hymn,” the bodies of 18 Marines and a Navy corpsman killed in a March 20 helicopter crash in South Korea were returned to the United States. A chaplain prayed and an honor guard made up of Navy and Marine personnel and about 150 members of the Air Force watched as black-gloved Marine pallbearers removed caskets from a C-141 cargo jet that landed at Travis Air Force Base. Most of the Marines killed were from Camp Pendleton near Oceanside.” (Los Angeles Times, CA. “Helicopter Accidents South Korea.” 3-28-1989.)

 

Sources

 

Aviation Forum. “US military accidents in 1972 to 2000 in Okinawa, Japan.” Accessed 6-27-2016 at: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=43214

 

Los Angeles Times. “Helicopter Accidents South Korea.” 3-28-1989. Accessed 6-27-2016 at:  http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/helicopter-accidents-south-korea

 

Los Angeles Times. “Marine Corps Names 18 Killed in Copter Crash.” 3-22-1989. Accessed 6-27-2016 at: http://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-22/news/mn-71_1_marine-corps

 

Stars and Stripes, Pacific. “Engine Eyed in Helo Crash.“ 3-22-1989, p. 2. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=133302757

 

Stars and Stripes, Pacific. “Marine Chopper Crashes; 21 Dead.” 3-21-1989, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=133302742

 

Sweetman, Jack. American Naval History: An Illustrated Chronology of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-Present (Third Edition).  Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. 2002. Partially Google digitized at: http://books.google.com/books?id=fAm1Y6gjYtwC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

 

The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Copter Crash Kills 19 Marines.” 3-20-1989, p. 3. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=19428469

 

United States Marine Corps History Division, Reference Branch.  “Yearly Chronologies of the United States Marine Corps – 1989.” Accessed at:  http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Chronologies/Yearly/1989.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Figure not used — a Marine Corps cite states there were 19 fatalities, as do most other sources cited.

[2] Figure not used – next day edition noted nineteen fatalities.

[3] Eighteen Marines and a Navy corpsman.

—     15  Baugher, Joseph F. 1965 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 revision.

–12-15  Casa Grande Dispatch, AZ. “Military Copter Crashes near Marana…” 3-13-1989, p. 1.

—     15  Trojan. “These Things I Do…That Others May be Remembered…Crash of CH-3E…”

 

Narrative Information

 

Baugher: “Sikorsky CH-3C….5692 (c/n 61.543) converted to CH-3E. With 71st SOS, main rotor blade broke and crashed 20 mi NW of Tucson, AZ Mar 12, 1989. 4 crew and 11 passengers killed.”  (Baugher, Joseph F.  1965 USAF Serial Numbers.  1-16-2012 revision.)

 

Trojan: “On Sunday, March 12, 1989, a clear, moonless night, Air Force helicopter 65-05692, call sign PONY 1-2 with an Air Force Reserve crew of 4 and an 11 member Army Special Forces Team aboard from the 5th Special Forces Group assigned to Fort Bragg, N.C. and was participating in a joint-service training exercise. The helicopter was number two of a two ship in trail formation on a planned night infiltration mission. The flight began from Libby Army Airfield, Fort Huachuca Arizona, 79 miles southeast of Tucson, to the Air Force’s Gila Bend Gunnery Range, 124 miles northwest of Tucson. On the way the helicopter stopped at Davis-Monthan AFB for refueling.

 

“They departed Davis-Monthan at 7:20 pm and crashed approximately fifteen minutes later in a desolate desert area in an uninhabited area adjacent to the Sahuaro National Monument about 20 miles northwest of Tucson. They crashed without getting any radio calls off or anything and the other helicopter in the formation was unaware of what took place. The entire Air Force Reserve crew of 4 and the 11 member Army Special Forces Team were all were lost in the crash.  One witness said he saw the crash from his house a few miles away. “I looked up and I seen a yellow ball, like flames, coming out of the back,” he said. “Five seconds later I saw it hit the ground, and then there was a red fireball.”

 

“Air Force investigators looked at everything from weather to maintenance and weight to determine why the helicopter crashed. The helicopter was flying at the prescribed altitude for the area just prior to the crash; they were not on a low-level mission.  The use of controversial night vision goggles, which had been an issue in numerous military helicopter crashes at that time were also ruled out as a crash cause.  The main rotor shaft nut, a fastener about a foot in diameter that holds the main rotor head to the helicopter frame, had been checked just two days before the crash. The helicopter was among more than 300 CH-3Es and similar helicopters inspected for defective nuts.  The accident investigation team examined the nut and decided it “wasn’t a factor in the accident.” The nut was found still in place, holding what remained of the rotor blades to what remained of the helicopter’s engine housing.

 

“The mystery of why the helicopter crashed continued for some time until investigators dug deep into the maintenance records and examined the wreckage which was removed to Davis-Monthan and photographed. There wasn’t much left because there was a post crash fire that destroyed most of the evidence. It turns out that one of the main rotor blades was overhauled and replaced just before the crash. The main rotor blade that was replaced was incorrectly overhauled by the factory and failed 15 minutes into the flight, taking out the tail rotor.

 

“It was further discovered that a number of other main rotor blades were also incorrectly overhauled. The overhaul company, United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and Sikorsky were later sued as a result of this accident. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two Air Force Reserve crew members lost in the accident in court cases Slaven vs. UTC and Thomas vs. Sikorsky….

 

“The Air Force Reserve crew members lost in the accident were: Lt. Col. Lawrence M. Rolle, 41, of Phoenix, commander of the reserve squadron and co-pilot of the helicopter; Maj. Donald D. Thomas, 42, of Tempe, the pilot; Master Sgt. Malte Breitlow, 45, of Tucson, and Tech. Sgt. William E. Slaven, 37, also of Tucson.

 

“The Army Special Forces Team aboard from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C. were Capt.  Ivin L. Broussard, 30, of Sulphur, La.; Capt. Alan C. Brown, 32, West Plains, Mo.; Master Sgt. Roger D. Berryhill, 34, Pahokee, Fla.; Sgt. 1st Class Larry K. Evans, 30, Sparks, Nev.; Sgt. 1st Class George A. Wayne, 31, Whiteville, N.C.; Staff. Sgt. John W. Bigler II, 24, of Long Beach, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Kenneth W. Campbell, 26, Clinton, S.C.; Staff Sgt. Robert L. Griswold, Fayetteville, N.C.; Staff Sgt. Kevin R. Livengood, 29, San  Antonio, Texas; Sgt. Larry D. Endress, 30, Clearwater, Fla.; and Sgt. Terry M. Hollway, 28, Los Angeles….”  (Trojan, Dave. “These Things I Do…That Others May be Remembered, The Tragic Crash of CH-3E, 65-05692.” 2-2-2010.)

 

AP, March 13: “Marana (AP) — An Air Force Reserve helicopter ferrying Army personnel crashed and burned in a fireball during a training flight Sunday night, killing 12 people and leaving the three others aboard missing and presumed dead, said authorities.  The search for the remaining three crash victims intensified at daybreak, said Capt. Carlos Roque, spokesman at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, who awaited further word from investigators at the crash site, about 25 miles northwest of the base.

 

“The CH-3E “Jolly Green Giant” helicopter, with four crew members from the 71st Special Operations Squadron at Davis-Monthan and 11 active-duty Army personnel from the 1st Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, N.C., crashed in an uninhabited area adjacent to the Sahuaro National Monument about 20 miles northwest of Tucson.  The Vietnam-era helicopter was assigned to Davis-Monthan, he added….” (Casa Grande Dispatch, AZ. “Military Copter Crashes near Marana; 12 Killed.” 3-13-1989, 1.)

 

Sources

 

Baugher, Joseph F. 1965 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 revision. Accessed 2-27-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1965.html

 

Casa Grande Dispatch, AZ. “Military Copter Crashes near Marana; 12 Killed.” 3-13-1989, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=110973886

 

Trojan, Dave. “These Things I Do…That Others May be Remembered, The Tragic Crash of CH-3E, 65-05692.” 2-2-2010. Accessed from Wreckchasing Message Board 7-2-2016 at:  http://pacaeropress.websitetoolbox.com/post/The-Tragic-Crash-of-CH3E-6505692-4496186

 

–9 NTSB. AAR. Explosive Decompression–Loss of Cargo Door in Flight, United…811…1989. 1992, p.v.
–9 Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. “Jumbo Jet Rips Open.” 2-25-1989, p. A24.

Narrative Information

NTSB: “Executive Summary

“On February 24, 1989, United Airlines flight 8111, a Boeing 747-122, experienced an explosive decompression as it was climbing between 22,000 and 23,000 feet after taking off from Honolulu, Hawaii, en route to Sydney, Australia with 3 flightcrew, 15 flight attendants, and 337 passengers aboard.

“The airplane made a successful emergency landing at Honolulu and the occupants evacuated the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed that the forward lower lobe cargo door had separated in flight and had caused extensive damage to the fuselage and cabin structure adjacent to the door. Nine of the passengers had been ejected from the airplane and lost at sea.

“A year after the accident, the Safety Board was uncertain that the cargo door would be located and recovered from the Pacific Ocean. The Safety Board decided to proceed with a final report based on the available evidence without the benefit of an actual examination of the door mechanism. The original report was adopted by the Safety Board on April 16, 1990, as NTSB/AAR-90/01.

“Subsequently, on July 22, 1990, a search and recovery operation was begun by the U.S. Navy with the cost shared by the Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing Aircraft Company, and United Airlines. The search and recovery effort was supported by Navy radar data on the separated cargo door, underwater sonar equipment, and a manned submersible vehicle. The effort was successful, and the cargo door was recovered in two pieces from the ocean floor at a depth of 14,200 feet on September 26 and October 1, 1990.

“Before the recovery of the cargo door, the Safety Board believed that the door locking mechanisms had sustained damage in service prior to the accident flight to the extent that the door could have been closed and appeared to have been locked, when in fact the door was not fully latched. This belief was expressed in the report and was supported by the evidence available at the time. However, upon examination of the door, the damage to the locking mechanism did not support this hypothesis. Rather, the evidence indicated that the latch cams had been back-driven from the closed position into a nearly open position after the door had been closed and locked. The latch cams had been driven into the lock sectors that deformed so that they failed to prevent the back-driving.

“Thus, as a result of the recovery and examination of the cargo door, the Safety Board’s analysis and probable cause have been modified. This report incorporates these changes and supersedes NTSB/AAR-90/091.

“The issues in this investigation centered around the design and certification of the B-747 cargo doors, the operation and maintenance to assure the continuing airworthiness of the doors, cabin safety, and emergency response.

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the sudden opening of the forward lower lobe cargo door in flight and the subsequent explosive decompression. The door opening was attributed to a faulty switch or wiring in the door control system which permitted electrical actuation of the door latches toward the unlatched position after initial door closure and before takeoff. Contributing to the cause of the accident was aa deficiency in the design of the cargo door locking mechanisms, which made them susceptible to deformation, allowing the door to become unlatched after being properly latched and locked. Also contributing to the accident was a lack of timely corrective actions by Boeing and the FAA following a 1987 cargo door opening incident on a Pan Am B.747.

“As a result of this investigation, the Safety Board issued safety recommendations concerning cargo doors and other non-plug doors on pressurized transport category airplanes, cabin safety, and emergency response.” (pp. v-vi.)

Newspaper

Feb 24: “Passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 811 nestled in their seats, settling down for the nearly nine-hour, pre-dawn trip Friday from Honolulu to Auckland, New Zealand. A flight attendant announced that the crew would begin serving drinks. The jumbo jet was flying about 20,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean. It was 2:15 a.m.

“Passengers suddenly heard a hissing sound and a roar. Then they saw the sky. As they watched, horrified, a huge hope opened in a forward, right-side wall. Nine people in three rows instantly were sucked through the hole, apparently to their deaths. Pieces of the plane peeled away and the cabin became a wind tunnel for debris and dust. One engine quit. Another caught fire. The crippled airliner plunged to 4,000 feet. ‘All of a sudden it was like a dream – a section of the plane wasn’t there any longer,’ Gary Garber said in a telephone interview from the emergency room of a Honolulu hospital. ‘We heard a hissing noise and then noise from the explosion, if you want to call it that. Then we put our heads down. A moment later, we put our heads up and I could see where the seats used to be and the people weren’t there,’ said Garber, of Tarzana….

“About 15 minutes later, the plane neared Honolulu….” (Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. “Jumbo Jet Rips Open.” 2-25-1989, p. A24.)

Sources

National Transportation Safety Board. Aircraft Accident Report. Explosive Decompression—Loss of Cargo Door in Flight, United Airlines Flight 811, Boeing 747-122, N4713U, Honolulu, Hawaii, February 24, 1989. Washington, DC: NTSB, 3-18-1992, 121 pages. Accessed 12-6-2021 at: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR9202.pdf

Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. “Jumbo Jet Rips Open.” 2-25-1989, p. A24. Accessed 12-6-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/santa-ana-orange-county-register-feb-25-1989-p-33/

— 10  B3A. “Crash of a Cessna 402 in Santa Ana: 10 killed.” Accessed 7-2-2016.

— 10  Kebabjian, Richard. Planecrashinfo.com. Accessed 7-2-2016.

— 10  Los Angeles Times. “Family of 7, 3 Others Die in Plane Crash.” 2-21-1989.

— 10  NTSB. “NTSB Identification: DCA89MA026.” Accessed 7-2-2016.

 

Narrative Information

 

Kebabjian:

Date:               February 19, 1989

Time:               12:10

Location:         Corona, California

Operator:         Air Taxi – Las Vegas Flyers Inc.

Route:             Las Vegas, NV – Santa Ana, CA

AC Type:         Cessna 402B

Registration:    N69383

Aboard:           10 (passengers: 9  crew: 1)

Fatalities:         10 (passengers: 9  crew: 1)

“Summary:      The accident occurred during a descent when the aircraft collided with a 2,060 ft. mountain. The pilot’s failure to properly preflight and plan for flight and his intentional flight into imc conditions. Pilots disregard for in-flight weather advisories. Factors contributing to the accident were the low ceiling conditions in conjunction with the mountainous terrain.”

 

LA Times: “Corona, Calif. — The shattered wreckage of a chartered twin-engine plane carrying five children, their parents and two other relatives on an outing from Las Vegas to Disneyland was found Monday on a chaparral-covered peak in Riverside County. All 10 aboard, including the pilot, were dead, authorities said.

 

“The Cessna 402, flying in overcast, drizzly weather at midday Sunday, failed to clear a 2,274-foot crest by about 100 feet and slammed into the peak overlooking Hagador Canyon in the Santa Ana Mountains, scattering twisted metal, bodies and baggage over a 100-yard area.

 

“The plane went down about 20 miles short of its destination, Orange County’s John Wayne Airport….

 

“The Riverside County coroner’s office tentatively identified the victims as Michael Cranson, 36, a Las Vegas police officer; his wife, Raeann, 33; their five children, Shauna, 15, Stephanie, 14, Nicole, 12, Joshua, 11 and Kyle, 7; James Montano, 24, and Cynthia Montano, 23, identified in Las Vegas as Raeann Cranson’s sister and brother-in-law. The pilot was identified as Hassan Berro, co-owner of Las Vegas Flyers, which owned the downed Cessna….

 

“The Cessna left McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas about 11 a.m. Sunday and was due in Orange County at 12:30 p.m. It was last reported at 12:07 p.m. on radar at an altitude of 2,100 feet near Corona.

 

“Riverside County sheriff’s deputies and Civil Air Patrol members began looking for the plane Sunday afternoon, but the search was halted because of darkness and the cold, drizzly weather.

 

“Bob Tur, pilot of the KNX copter, spotted the wreckage in the rugged terrain, which is about a 10-minute flight from Corona Airport….”

 

NTSB: “Nonscheduled 14 CFR

“Accident occurred Sunday, February 19, 1989 in Corona, CA

“Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/01/1990

“Aircraft: CESSNA 402B, registration: N69383

“Injuries: 10 Fatal.

 

“THE PLT WAS OPERATING AN ON-DEMAND AIR TAXI PASSENGER FLT TO SANTA ANA, CA. THE ACDT OCCURRED DRG DESCENT, WHEN THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A MTN AT 2060 FT MSL. THE PLT HAD RCVD A PREFLT WX BRIEFING IN WHICH HE WAS ADVISED OF LOW CEILINGS AND REDUCED VIS IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN, SURROUNDING MTNS OBSCURED BY CLOUDS, AND THAT VFR[1] FLT TO SANTA ANA WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. HE DEPARTED VFR. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PLT WAS ADVISED THAT SANTA ANA WAS REPORTING 1400 FT OVCST WITH 5 MILES VIS. A VIDEOTAPE RECORDED BY A PASSENGER SHOWED MTN PEAKS PROTRUDING THROUGH A SOLID CLOUD LAYER AND SHOWED THE ACFT DESCENDING INTO THE CLOUDS. WITNESSES DESCRIBED A LOW CLOUD CEILING NR THE CRASH SITE AND CLOUD TOPS AT 5000 FT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE OF POWERED FLT AND NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT CONTROL OR ENGINE MALFUNCTION.RECORDS INDICATED THAT THE PLT HAD ENCOUNTERED IMC[2] ON ONLY 1 FLT IN THE PREVIOUS 9 MOS. HE WAS DIR OF OPNS FOR THE OPERATOR.

 

“The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

 

“THE PILOT’S FAILURE TO PROPERLY PREFLIGHT AND PLAN FOR FLIGHT AND HIS INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE LOW CEILING CONDITIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.”

 

Sources

 

B3A (Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Cessna 402 in Santa Ana: 10 killed.” Accessed 7-2-2016 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/1989/archives/crash-of-a-cessna-402-in-santa-ana-10-killed/

 

Kebabjian, Richard. Planecrashinfo.com. Accessed 7-2-2016 at: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1989/1989-10.htm

 

Los Angeles Times (Louis Sahagun and John Kendall). “Family of 7, 3 Others Die in Plane Crash.” 2-21-1989. Accessed 7-2-2016 at: http://articles.latimes.com/1989-02-21/news/mn-88_1_plane-crash

 

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: DCA89MA026.” Accessed 7-2-2016 at: http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001213X27704&key=1

 

 

 

 

[1] Visual Flight Rules.

[2] Instrument Meteorological Conditions.

— 19  Baugher, Joseph F.  1963 USAF Serial Numbers.  1-16-2012 revision.

— 19  Gero.  Military Aviation Disasters:  Significant Losses Since 1908.  1999, p. 149.

— 19  New York Times. “19 are Killed as Air Force Jet Crashes on Takeoff in Texas.” 2-1-1989.

— 19  Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Sawyer tanker jet crashes; 19 killed.” 2-1-1989.

 

Narrative Information

 

Baugher: “Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker….7990 (c/n 18607, 410th BW) water-injection system failed during takeoff at Dyess AFB, TX and crashed Jan 31, 1989. 19 crew and passengers onboard killed.” (Baugher, Joseph F.  1963 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 rev.)

 

Gero: “Operated by the Strategic Air command, the jet tanker [63-7990] crashed and burst into flames seconds after taking off from Runway 16 at Dyess Air Force Base. All 19 persons aboard lost their lives, includ­ing a crew of seven military personnel; among the passengers were four civilian dependents. Only seconds after becoming airborne, the KC-135 slammed to earth approximately half-a-mile…beyond the end and 600ft (180m) to the right of the extended centerline of the runway, its undercarriage retracted and flaps set at 30 degrees at the moment of impact. The accident occurred in visual meteorological conditions, but gusty winds were blowing from a due westerly direction at the time, with a cross-wind component alone of 20 knots or greater. There was no evidence of failure in the aircraft’s instruments, flight controls or power plants, despite eye-witness accounts of smoke or vapor emanating from an engine, which could indicate trouble in its water injection system. Improper piloting technique was, however, reported to have factored in the crash.”  (Gero 1999, pp. 149-150)

 

Jan 31, NYT: “Abilene, Tex., Jan 31 — A military refueling jet bound for Hawaii crashed in a ball of flame on takeoff today at Dyess Air Force Base, killing all 19 people on board, the Air Force said. Officials at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base near Marquette, Mich, where the flight originated, said the passengers included spouses of active or retired members of the military. No children were believed to have been on board….

 

“The wreckage burned for more than an hour after the crash, which occurred at 12:10 P.M. at the south end of the Dyess runway, near U.S. Highway 277 about six miles southwest of Abilene….

 

“A base spokesman said the flight manifest showed that 17 of those on board were from the Michigan base and the other two boarded at Dyess….

 

“The plane, a KC-135A based at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base near Marquette, Mich., was flying from Dyess to Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii on a training mission.[1]

 

“Officials in Washington said the plane was carrying close to a full load of fuel, totaling 155,000 pounds, including its own fuel and fuel to transfer during the flight to F-16 fighters flying across the Pacific….

 

“The KC-135, a Stratotanker, is the military version of the Boeing 707 and is the backbone of the Air Force’s refueling fleet. It normally takes a crew of four or five but can carry a sizeable load of passengers even when carrying fuel.

 

“The military began using the first KC-135-A’s in 1956. They have a range of 11,050 miles when carrying 120,000 pounds of fuel. They cost $20.1 million.

 

“A KC-135 crashed Oct. 11, 1988, at Wurtsmith Air Base near Oscoda, Mich. That plane, also based at Sawyer, exploded in flames on landing, killing six people and injuring 10….” (NYT. “19 are Killed as Air Force Jet Crashes on Takeoff in Texas.” 2-1-1989.)

 

Feb 1, Traverse City Record Eagle: “Abilene, Texas (AP) – A military refueling jet that crashed on takeoff, killing all 19 aboard, appeared to veer away from a cluster of houses before tipping onto the ground and exploding in a mushroom-shaped fireball, witnesses said….

 

“The flight manifest showed that 18 of the passengers were from Sawyer and the two others boarded at Dyess, said…[a] Dyess spokesman. In addition to seven crew members, four passengers were on active duty in the military, four were retired military and among the four dependents was one child….” (Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Sawyer tanker jet crashes; 19 killed.” 2-1-1989.)

 

Feb 2, AP: “Abilene, Texas (AP) – Here is a list of 17 of the 19 victims of Tuesday’s KC-135 crash at Dyess Air Force Base. The name of one victim was withheld pending notification of next of kin. The name of a second victim was withheld at the request of the victim’s family.

 

Active Duty

Brackney, 1^st Lt. Kenneth A., 25, Ridge Farm, Ill.

Conge, Senior Airman Leopoldo L. Jr., 29, San Pablo, Calif.

David, Airman Noel R., 29, Alexandria, La.

Galineau, Airman 1^st Class Jay M., 30, Menominee, Mich.

Juneau, Master Sgt. Douglas E., age unavailable, Anderson AFB, Guam.

Llewellyn, Capt. Robert M. III, 32, Cumberland, Md.

Neher, Senior Airman Andrew W., 21, Ft. Wayne, Ind.

Nellis, Capt. Joseph A., 28, Granger, Ind.

Smith, Senior Airman Richard D., 21, Big Creek, W.Va.

Vickers, Staff Sgt. David A., 34, Whitmore Lake, Mich.

 

Others

Clark, Donald M., Navy retired, age unavailable, Minocqua, Wis.

Clark, June L., dependent, age unavailable, Minocqua, Wis.

Curtis, Robert W., Air Force retired, age unavailable, Sault Ste Marie, Mich.

Phillips, James A., Air Force retired, 58, Abilene, Texas.

Wooldridge, Berlin B., Air Force retired, age unavailable, Gwinn, Mich.

Wooldridge, Jordan M., dependent, age unavailable, Gwinn, Mich. [4-years-old][2]

Wooldridge, Margret J., dependent, age unavailable, Gwinn, Mich.

(Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Air base mourns crash victims.” 2-2-1989, p. 5.)

 

Sources

 

Baugher, Joseph F. 1963 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-13-2016 revision. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1963.html

 

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.

 

New York Times. “19 are Killed as Air Force Jet Crashes on Takeoff in Texas.” 2-1-1989. Accessed 7-3-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/01/us/19-are-killed-as-air-force-jet-crashes-on-takeoff-in-texas.html

 

Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Air base mourns crash victims.” 2-2-1989, p. 5. Accessed 7-3-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/michigan/traverse-city/traverse-city-record-eagle/1989/02-02/page-5?tag

 

Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Sawyer tanker jet crashes; 19 killed.” 2-1-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-3-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/michigan/traverse-city/traverse-city-record-eagle/1989/02-01?tag

 

 

 

[1] Another AP article notes that the final destination, after the Hawaii stop, was Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. (Traverse City Record Eagle, MI. “Air base mourns crash victims.” 2-2-1989, p. 5.)

[2] Our deduction. Article notes that one of the victims was 4. Later quotes a source to effect that two family friends and their 4-year-old nephew were on board.

–76-91  Blanchard range. (We have been able to identify 76 deaths; press reports note 84-91.)

 

—  91  AP. “Snow falls in [LA]; freeze continues.” Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, 2-9-1989, p. 2A.

—  84  Assoc. Press. “California residents surprised by snow.” Iola Register, KS. 2-8-1989, p. 2.

—  76  Blanchard tally of NCDC Storm Data narratives of winter weather deaths Feb 1-7

—>49  AP. “Arctic blast spawns snow, freezing rain.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-7-1989, p. 1.[1]

—  23  AP. “Cold wave kills 23, attacks Mardi Gras.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-5-1989, p. 1.

—>22  NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 22.[2]

—  15  Associated Press. “Arctic air puts chill on nation.” Port Arthur News, TX, 2-4-1989, p. 1.

 

Summary of Winter Weather-Related Fatalities by State

 

Alaska                        (  1)

Arkansas        (  3)

California       (11)

Colorado        (  2)

Idaho              (  1)

Iowa                (  1)

Kansas            (  3)

Louisiana       (>6)

Michigan        (  5)

Minnesota      (  1)

Montana         (  4)

Nebraska        (  1)

New Mexico   (  1)

New York      (  2)

Oklahoma      (  3)

Oregon           (  5)

Pennsylvania  (  1)

South Dakota (  1)

Texas              (18)

Washington    (  6)

 

Breakout of Winter Weather-Related Fatalities by States and Localities

 

Alaska                        (  1)

–1  Southeast AK, Jan 30-Feb 3, Anticyclone (winds and cold). Drowning; boatman; high seas.[3]

 

Arkansas        (  3)

–1  Morrilton, Feb 4. Exposure; elderly man in one-room home; temp. dropped to 10 degrees.[4]

–2  Malvern, found Feb 9. Exposure, in bed; elderly couple; turned furnace down too low.[5]

 

California       (11)

–11  Blanchard tally from locality breakouts below.

—  1  Fontana, Feb 9. Apparent exposure/hyperthermia; transient. Associated Press, 2-9-1989.[6]

—  1  Isla Vista, Feb 7. Apparent exposure; transient, 55 years-old.[7]

—>5  Los Angeles and Orange Counties, Feb 4; “…weather-related traffic fatalities…” NCDC.[8]

–1  LA County. Man killed on Santa Ana Freeway near La Ciénega Boulevard.

–1  LA County, Tujunga. Man burned to death in 219 Freeway crash near Tujunga.

–1  LA Co. ~Sylmar, Golden State Freeway. Woman passenger in car crash explosion.

–1  Orange County, Irvine; Car crash; male.

–1  Orange County, Laguna Niguel. Car crash; male.

—  1  Los Angeles Co., Soledad Canyon Road, Feb 7. Man lost control of car in snowstorm.[9]

—  1  Los Angeles Co., Riverside, I-10, Feb 7. Speeding car/truck collision during downpour.[10]

—  1  Redlands, Feb 8. Vehicular “accident on an icy road.” AP. 2-9-1898.[11]

—  1  San Bernardino County, Fontana, Feb 7. Hypothermia/exposure to cold; transient.[12]

 

Colorado        (  2)

–1  Arvada, Feb 3. Hypothermia; female, 57, outside in a park in this Denver suburb. NCDC.[13]

–1  Crested Butte, Feb 5. Avalanche; 6-year-old boy killed in parking lot by avalanche. NCDC.[14]

 

Idaho              (1)

–1  I-84, just so. of I-86 junction, Feb 1. 17-vehicle pileup; visibility drop, wind-driven snow.[15]

 

Iowa                (1)

–1  Council Bluffs, Feb 6. Cold exposure; male unable to unlock apt. door; froze on steps.[16]

 

Kansas            (  3)

–1  Kansas City, Feb 3. Hypothermia; female in unheated apartment. NCDC Storm Data.[17]

–1  Lawrence, Feb 3. Hypothermia; elderly female. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, p. 21.[18]

–1  Louisburg, Feb 4. Cold-related heart attack; male. NCDC Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, p21.[19]

 

Louisiana       (>6)

—>6  Feb 5-7. “…at least six traffic fatalities resulting from icy road conditions.” NCDC.[20]

 

Michigan        (  5)

–1  Extreme Southern Lower Peninsula, Feb 2. “…345 auto accidents.” One person killed.[21]

–1  Northern Chippewa County, Feb 8. Blizzard; exposure; ice fisherman became disoriented.[22]

–3  Southern Lower Peninsula, Feb 5. Vehicular; “Three people were killed…in 96 auto accidents.”[23]

 

Minnesota      (  1)

–1  Coleraine, Feb 1. Hypothermia; frozen female, 31, found on a sidewalk.[24]

 

Montana         (  4)

–1  Dillon, Feb 1-5. Severe cold; man died in home after fire went out. NCDC Storm Data.[25]

–1  Great Falls, Feb 2. Hypothermia; male. NCDC Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 26.[26]

–1  Lame Deer, Feb 1-5. Severe cold exposure; male. NCDC Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 26.

–1  Missoula area, I-90, Jan 31. Near zero visibility; man driving pickup runs into sand truck.[27]

 

Nebraska        (  1)

–1  Brady, Feb 3. Man found dead in back of pickup truck; alcohol/hypothermia combination.[28]

 

New Mexico   (  1)

–1  Farmington, Feb 6. Exposure; man found about 3 pm behind commercial building.[29]

 

New York      (2)

–1  NY Central, Feb 1. Winter Storm. NCDC Storm Data (31/2, 28) notes a death, but not a cause.[30]

–1  Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Wyoming counties area, Feb 8. Vehicular accident. NCDC.[31]

 

Oklahoma      (  3)

–1  Durant, Feb 2-5. Hypothermia; female, 82. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, p. 31.

–1  Oklahoma City, Feb 2-5. Hypothermia; male, 81, at home. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 31.

–1  Oklahoma City, Feb 2-5. Hypothermia; man found frozen in drainage ditch. NCDC.[32]

 

Oregon           (  5)

–5  NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 31.

–3  Ice and snow-related traffic accidents.

–1  Feb 1.[33]

–2  Hypothermia; two women found frozen to death.

–5  Taylor and Hatton. Oregon Weather Book: A State of Extremes. 1999, p. 121.

 

Pennsylvania  (  1)

–1  Kiskiminetas, body found Feb 9. Female, 82, with Alzheimer’s, found outside home.[34]

 

South Dakota (  1)

–1  Martin, Feb 2. Exposure during winter storm; male. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 32.

 

Texas              (18)

–18  Blanchard tally based on breakouts below.

–11  Northern Texas (Ice and Cold). NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 32.

–5  Weather-related (ice) traffic accidents.

–1  Austin area (east), Fayette County, Feb 4. Male, 28 loses control of pickup.[35]

–1  Fort Worth, Feb 5. Female loses control of car; ice-covered freeway bridge.[36]

–5  Exposure.

–1  Dallas, Feb 4. Male, 65, in abandoned house.

–1  Fort Worth, Feb 3. Female, 84, after locking herself out of her house.

–2  Gatesville, Feb 6. Men at home; bottled gas supply for heater ran out.

–1  Waco, Feb 7. Hypothermia; male, 57, in house with heat not turned on.

–1  Fall on slippery ice, Feb 3; male, 67, died from injuries sustained.

—  1  Amarillo, Potter Co. Male, 50, found dead beside semi-truck used as home; cold-related.[37]

—  5  Southern Texas (Winter Storm). NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 33.

–1  Austin, Feb 5. Hypothermia; male paraplegic, 36, after outdoor wheelchair accident.[38]

–1  Bastrop County, Feb 4-6. Hypothermia; male, 68, spending night in his car.

–1  Jim Wells County, Feb 4-6. Exposure; male, 41, after getting lost in the brush.

–1  Liberty County, Feb 6. Exposure; toddler, 2, wandered out of mobile home.

–1  Llano County, Feb 5. Hypothermia; man, after spending night in unheated building.

—  1  Laredo, Webb County, Feb 7. Hypothermia; elderly female in plywood shack.[39]

 

Washington    (  6)

–6  NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 34.

–5  Entire state snowstorm, Feb 1.

–1  Lineman trying to restore power when he fell from  power pole (Feb 2).[40]

–4  Seattle area sledding and inner tubing accidents.

–1  Settle, Feb 2. Girl, 12; head-injuries from sledding accident.

–1  Spokane, hard freeze and cold, Feb 3. Exposure, elderly resident out walking.

 

Breakout of Winter Weather-Related Fatalities by Cause of Death (Summary)

 

Avalanche                                                      (  1)

Drowning due to high wind and seas:         (  1)

Fall on Slippery Ice                                       (  1)

Fall from Power Pole                                    (  1)

Hypothermia/Exposure:                               (37)

Sledding Accidents                                        (  4)

Vehicular Accidents:                                     (30)

Not Noted                                                       (  1)

 

Breakout of Winter Weather-Related Fatalities by Cause of Death

 

Avalanche                                                      (  1)

–1  CO, Crested Butte, Feb 5. Avalanche; 6-year-old boy killed in parking lot by avalanche.

 

Drowning due to high wind and seas:         (  1)

–1  Southeast AK, Jan 30-Feb 3, Anticyclone (winds and cold). Drowning; boatman; high seas.

 

Fall on Slippery Ice                                       (  1)

–1  TX, Northern TX. Fall on slippery ice, Feb 3; male, 67, died from injuries sustained.

 

Fall from Power Pole                                    (  1)

–1  WA, Feb 2. Lineman trying to restore power when he fell from  power pole.

 

Hypothermia/Exposure:                               (37)

–1  AR, Morrilton, Feb 4. Exposure; elderly man, one-room home; temp. dropped to 10 degrees.

–2  AR, Malvern, found Feb 9. Exposure, in bed; elderly couple; turned furnace down too low.

–1  CA, Fontana, Feb 9. Apparent exposure/hyperthermia; transient. Associated Press, 2-9-1989.

–1  CA, Isla Vista. Apparent exposure; transient. AP. “7 deaths…Arctic blast.” 2-10-1989.

–1  CO, Arvada, Feb 3. Hypothermia; female, 57, outside in a park in this Denver suburb.

–1  IA, Council Bluffs, Feb 6. Cold exposure; male unable to unlock apt. door; froze on steps.

–1  KS, Kansas City, Feb 3. Hypothermia; female in unheated apartment. NCDC Storm Data.

–1  KS, Lawrence, Feb 3. Hypothermia; elderly female. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 21.

–1  KS, Louisburg, Feb 4. Cold-related heart attack; male. NCDC Storm Data, 31/2, Feb ‘89, 21.[41]

–1  MI, Northern Chippewa Co., Feb 8. Blizzard; exposure; ice fisherman became disoriented.

–1  MN, Coleraine, Feb 1. Hypothermia; frozen female, 31, found on a sidewalk.[42]

–1  MT, Dillon, Feb 1-5. Severe cold; man died in home after fire went out. NCDC Storm Data.

–1  MT, Great Falls, Feb 2. Hypothermia; male. NCDC Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 26.

–1  MT, Lame Deer, Feb 1-5. Severe cold exposure; male. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 26.

–1  NE, Brady, Feb 3. Man found in back of pickup truck; alcohol/hypothermia combination.

–1  NM, Farmington, Feb 6. Exposure; man found about 3 pm behind commercial building.

–1  OK, Durant, Feb 2-5. Hypothermia; female, 82. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, p. 31.

–1  OK, Oklahoma City, Feb 2-5. Hypothermia; male, 81, at home. NCDC. Storm Data.

–1  OK, Oklahoma City, Feb 2-5. Hypothermia; man found frozen in drainage ditch. NCDC.

–2  OR, Feb 1-8. Hypothermia; two women found frozen to death. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2.

–1  PA, Kiskiminetas, body found Feb 9. Female, 82, with Alzheimer’s, found outside home.[43]

–1  SD, Martin, Feb 2. Exposure during winter storm; male. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2.

–1  TX, Amarillo, Potter Co. Male, 50, found dead beside semi-truck used as home; cold-related.

–1  TX, Austin, Feb 5. Hypothermia; male paraplegic, 36, after outdoor wheelchair accident.

–1  TX, Bastrop County, Feb 4-6. Hypothermia; male, 68, spending night in his car.

–1  TX, Dallas, Feb 4. Male, 65, in abandoned house.

–1  TX, Fort Worth, Feb 3. Female, 84, after locking herself out of her house.

–2  TX, Gatesville, Feb 6. Men at home; bottled gas supply for heater ran out.

–1  TX, Jim Wells County, Feb 4-6. Exposure; male, 41, after getting lost in the brush.

–1  TX, Laredo, Webb County, Feb 7. Hypothermia; elderly female in plywood shack.

–1  TX, Liberty County, Feb 6. Exposure; toddler, 2, wandered out of mobile home.

–1  TX, Llano County, Feb 5. Hypothermia; man, after spending night in unheated building.

–1  TX, Waco, Feb 7. Hypothermia; male, 57, in house with heat not turned on.

–1  WA, Spokane, hard freeze and cold, Feb 3. Exposure, elderly resident out walking.

 

Sledding Accidents                                        (  4)

–4  WA, Seattle area sledding and inner tubing accidents.

 

Vehicular Accidents:                                     (30)

–1  CA, LA County, Feb 4. Man killed on Santa Ana Freeway near La Ciénega Boulevard.

–1  CA, Los Angeles Co., Riverside, I-10, Feb 7. Speeding car/truck collision during downpour.

–1  CA, Los Angeles Co., Soledad Canyon Road, Feb 7. Man lost control of car in snowstorm.

–1  CA, LA Co. ~Sylmar, Golden State Freeway, 4th. Woman passenger in car crash explosion.

–1  CA, LA County, Tujunga, Feb 4. Man burned to death in 219 Freeway crash near Tujunga.

–1  CA, Orange County, Irvine, Feb 4; Car crash; male.

–1  CA, Orange County, Laguna Niguel. Car crash; male.

–1  CA, San Bernardino County, Fontana, Feb 7. Hypothermia/exposure to cold; transient.

–1  CA, San Bernardino County, Redlands, Feb 8. Vehicular “accident on an icy road.”

–1  ID, I-84, south of I-86 junction, Feb 1. 17-vehicle pileup; visibility drop, wind-driven snow.

–6  LA, Feb 5-7. “…at least six traffic fatalities resulting from icy road conditions.” NCDC.

–1  MI, Extreme Southern Lower Peninsula, Feb 2. “…345 auto accidents.” One person killed.

–3  MI, Southern Lower Peninsula, Feb 5. Vehicular; out of 96 reported auto accidents.

–1  MT, Missoula area, I-90, Jan 31. Near zero visibility; man drives into sanding truck.

–1  NY, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Wyoming counties area, Feb 8. Vehicular accident. NCDC.

–3  OR, Feb 1-8. Ice and snow-related traffic accidents. NCDC. Storm Data, 31/2, Feb 1989, 31.

–1  TX, Austin area (east), Fayette County, Feb 4. Male, 28 loses control of pickup.

–1  TX, Fort Worth, Feb 5. Female loses control of car; ice-covered freeway bridge.

–3  TX, localities not noted except to note within Northern Texas in Ice and Cold section.

 

Not Noted                                                       (  1)

–1  NY Central, Feb 1. Winter Storm. NCDC Storm Data (31/2, 28) notes a death, but not a cause.

 

Narrative Information

 

Jan 31-Feb 8, NCDC on “Record-Setting Cold in the Western U.S. on January 31 to February 8, 1989.” “The cold dome of Arctic air that formed over and plagued most of Alaska during the second half of January 1989, began spreading southeastward during the last few days of the month and settled in over the western two-thirds of the contiguous states during the first week of February. The frigid air initially pushed into the northern Rockies and all the way south through the Plains States, setting some new record lows in those regions. But over the course of a few days, the cold had also spread westward under the influence of an upper-level trough that regressed westward through the Western U.S., causing not only the central Rockies but also the intermountain region of the Great Basin and even much of the West Coast to experience unusually cold and record-setting temperatures. For some of the western states the coldest known temperatures, not necessarily official, included -52°F at Wisdom, Montana; -51 at Craig, Colorado; -37 at Weston Wyoming; -43 at Boca, California; -42 at Carlin Gold Mine, Nevada; and -35 at Salmon, Idaho. West of the Cascades and Sierras, not as cold but none-the-less unusual were 7° at Seattle-Tacoma, Washington; -1 at Salem, Oregon; and 31 at San Francisco, California.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 6.)

 

“As if the record-setting temperatures, too numerous to list, were not enough, the prolonged stay of the cold only added to the impact of the outbreak. For several days it was too cold to operate machinery including cars and trucks in many areas. Many residents, especially in the coldest areas, remained indoors for an entire week until the temperatures began to significantly moderate. In all there were at least 22 deaths directly attributed to the cold,[44] most resulting from hypothermia brought on by overexposure.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 7.)

 

Jan 31, NCDC on Montana Blizzard: “A very strong, Arctic cold front moved into northern Montana during the early morning and by late evening had covered the state with sub-zero temperatures, strong northerly winds, bitter wind chills, and snow. This was the strongest Arctic front to strike the state in 5 years. Record high temperatures in the low 60’s were observed during the afternoon of the 30^th east of the Rockies, and 24 hours later the mercury had dropped well below zero. Great Falls went from 62 degrees on the 30^th to 23 degrees below zero on the 31^st. The effects of this blizzard were severe west of the Rockies. As the Arctic air pushed through the passes, the winds increased. At West Glacier over 400 trees were blown down. Threes were downed on six cars and 36 houses, and power outages occurred. East-West highways were closed due to reduced visibility. At 2200MST, a man driving a pickup on Interstate 90 east of Missoula ran into the back of a sanding truck and was killed. Visibility at the time was near zero due to blowing snow. During the morning an eastbound freight train ran into the rear of an Amtrak train at Essex, injuring 14 persons. The visibility was near zero due to blowing snow. Windchill temperatures during the day were 80 degrees below zero at many locations.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 1, January 1989, p. 27.)

 

Feb 1: “Record-cold arctic air trapped over Alaska finally broke loose and barreled into the lower 48 states, dropping a bitter winter into the laps of springlike northern cities in a matter of minutes. Temperatures plunged by nearly 80 degrees in a day with one town reporting a 23-degree drop in one minute.

 

“High winds preceding the cold front blew a toddler down a street in Lander, Wyo. The polar air outburst, accompanied today by blizzards driven by winds over 100 mph, stunned residents throughout the northern Plains and Midwest, where ski slopes and ice festivals had been abandoned for golf curses and tennis courts.

 

“The frigid air, no longer trapped by a warm-air jet stream that had strayed farther north than usual and left record-high temperature in 64 cities Tuesday [Jan 31], promised bone-numbing weekend weather for the East Coast and as far south as Arkansas, the National Weather Service said….

 

“”…on Tuesday [Jan 31]…arctic air rushed into the balmy northern Plains, including Nebraska, North Dakota and Wyoming, dropping temperatures to 10 to 20 below zero. High winds and blowing snow knocked out power in Washington state and parts of northwest Montana. Valentine, Neb., reached a record high of 70 degrees and dropped to zero degrees within 10 hours. The mercury plunged 33 degrees in one hour after the cold front passed Valentine. In Russell, Kan., which had the national high temperature of 84 Tuesday afternoon, it was 12 degrees this morning. In a 24-hour period beginning Monday morning, temperatures fell 79 degrees at Great Falls, Mont., from 62 above to 17 below zero. The state braced for even colder weather today as the system continued southward. ‘It’s the coldest air mass in the last five years, since December of 1983,’ said Bruce Thoricht, a weather service meteorologist at Billings.

 

“In the town of Cut Bank, about 100 miles north of Helena, a Federal Aviation Administration official said the temperature plunged 23 degrees in one minute, and 103 mph winds dropped the wind chill to 75 below zero. ‘It was a drastic drop, really fast,’ said Glacier County Undersheriff Bill Barron.

 

“In Lander, winds gusting up to 86 mph dragged a 2-year-old boy down the street, said his mother, Pamela Roberts, who chased after him. The toddler was not seriously hurt. ‘He fell and the wind dragged him along on his face,’ said Roberts, 27. ‘I was trying to hold him and trying to open the door.’

 

“In the Plains, ranchers worked to secure cattle, particularly newborn calves, in areas that basked in temperatures in the 60s Tuesday but shivered in dangerous wind-chills down to 40 and 50 below this morning…

 

“Blizzards hit Tuesday in northwestern Minnesota, southeast North Dakota and southern Montana. Cut Bank had 5 inches of snow and Helena 4. Blowing, drifting snow dropped visibility to almost zero in parts of Montana and Minnesota. Snowfall was light this morning in most areas, but forecasters said more wind-whipped snow was predicted in the upper Plains and Midwest tonight.

 

“The Minnesota state patrol closed a 50-mile stretch of highway in the west-central part of the state for nearly 11 hours through this morning, and troopers Tuesday night led about 100 stranded motorists the 10 miles from Glyndon to Moorhead because Glyndon had no accommodations for them….

 

“Where snow didn’t fall, high winds fanned a prairie fire in western Nebraska that consumed 8,000 acres of grassland and burned several farm buildings, but destroyed only one house.

 

“The cold air had been trapped over Alaska by a dome of extremely high atmospheric pressure. The barometer at Northway, Alaska, rose to a North American record high of 31.74 inches of mercury, the weather service reported Tuesday….” (Associated Press. “Polar cold numbs balmy nation.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-1-1989, p. 5.)

 

Feb 2: “ By the Associated Press. A blast of cold air out of Alaska brought snowstorms and plunging temperatures to the West and Midwest, triggering hundreds of traffic accidents and closing schools, and threatening to end the East’s record warm spell today.

 

“At least two people died in weather-related traffic accidents in Idaho and Oregon on Wednesday [Feb 1]. Authorities in Coleraine, Minn., blamed minus 20-degree temperatures for the hypothermia death of a 31-year-old woman whose frozen body was found on a sidewalk.

 

“Snow continued falling today from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies, northern Plains, and upper Mississippi Valley, and was expected to spread to the Great Lakes. Freezing drizzle slickened roads from Missouri to Indiana.

 

“The foul weather was accompanied by equally foul temperatures in many places. In the Dakotas and Montana, where Gov. Stan Stephens declared a state of emergency, winds up to 40 mph produced wind chills as low as minus 90 degrees Wednesday.

 

“Low-temperature records for the date were set this morning in Casper, Wyo., where it was 23 below; and Sheridan, Wyo., whose 28-below reading beat the old record by 8 degrees.

 

“The storms caused traffic accidents in Washington state, Oregon, California and Utah, and knocked out power to thousands of people in Washington, Montana and Utah.

 

“Snow closed many schools in Washington, Oregon and Idaho on Wednesday, and dangerously low temperatures shut them in Montana today and in North Dakota through Friday. Farther east, some schools in Indiana and Michigan were closed because of freezing rain that made travel hazardous.

 

“Snowy runways caused delays at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, ferries were kept at their docks in Seattle, pipes froze and auto parts stores reported runs on antifreeze and tire chains.

 

“Near Truckee, Calif., in the Sierra Nevada 75 miles northeast of Sacramento, a tour bus overturned on icy, wind-swept Interstate 80, sending 23 people to the hospital, authorities said. Six were admitted.

 

“In Washington, icy roads caused a 100-car string of accidents on Interstate 5 just north of Seattle, said State Patrol spokesman Bill Burkett. More than 200 accidents were reported in the Puget Sound area.” (AP. “Storm blasts its way eastward.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-2-1989, p. 1.)

 

Feb 3: “By The Associated Press. Freezing drizzle ushered the Big Chill of ’89 deeper into the nation’s midsection and toward the East Coast today, turning highways into glaring stretches of ice and draping trees and power lines in a hardened coat.

 

“The frigid air mass that spilled into the lower 48 states from Alaska earlier in the week brought more snow today to the weather-weary Pacific Northwest and northern states, threatening crops and endangering newborn livestock.

 

“The cold spell has closed schools, disrupted travel, and caused power outages at a time when electricity is in high demand. Wind-chill readings between 60 and 80 degrees below zero are common across much of Montana and the Dakotas.

 

“Stretching across a roughly triangular area from the Pacific Northwest to Texas to New England, the air mass is pushing southward, but at a slower pace than earlier in the week, said Brian Smith on the National Weather Service. ‘It’s moving quite a bit slower now. We’re not getting th really rapid changes in temperatures that we were,’ Smith said today. The below-normal temperatures are expected to linger until the middle of next week.

 

“Schools in Montana, Nebraska, Washington state, Kansas and elsewhere told students to stay home today because of the snow and cold.

 

“State-government workers were expected back at work after being sent home at midday Thursday [Feb 2] by Montana Gov. Stan Stephens….

 

“Six record lows for the date were posted Thursday and early today a record of 14 below zero was set in Goodland, Kan….

 

“At least four traffic fatalities were blamed on the weather, which slickened highways in a band of freezing rain from Texas to Vermont, In Edmonds, Wash., a 35-year-old utility worker died Thursday [Feb 2] when he fell while trying to repair a downed power line.

 

“Two men died of exposure, one in Martin, S.D., and the other in Great Falls Mont. In Seattle, where snow is rare, a 12-year-old girl died of head injuries suffered in a sledding accident Thursday….

 

“The Alaskan air mass also delivered a rare snowfall to parts of northern California. ‘There was snow right down to the beach in Trinidad Harbor,’ Yvonne Lewis, deputy city clerk at the tiny fishing town 300 miles north of San Francisco, said late Thursday….

 

“Montana ranchers said cattle were giving birth to calves that died from exposure within hours….” (AP. “Frigid wave puts Midwest on ice.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, 2-3-1989, p. 1.)

 

Feb 4: “Bitingly cold arctic air and freezing drizzle iced highways Friday [Feb 3] from the Northwest to New England and south to Texas, closing scores of schools and one state government and prompting increased aid for the homeless.

 

“The urge to play in new-fallen snow resulted in four sledding deaths in Washington. Eleven other deaths also were blamed on the weather, including three of hypothermia.

 

“Temperatures early Friday were below zero all the way south to the middle Mississippi Valley, with readings of 20 below zero to 38 below zero over the Dakotas, Wyoming, much of Montana, Minnesota and northwestern Nebraska, the National Weather Service said.

 

“In Texas, Austin fell from a high Thursday of 69 to a low Friday of 28, and a freeze warning was posted for the lower Rio Grande Valley.

 

“Record lows were scattered from Oregon to Iowa, including 35 below zero at Great Falls, Mont. Mason City, Iowa, had a low of 20 below zero, but wind gusting to 31 mph produced a wind chill factor of 78 below zero. Minong, Wis., hit 32 below zero. At noon, the temperature was only 27 degrees below zero at Bozeman and Butte, Mont. The weather service’s official low for the Lower 48 states was 52 degrees below zero at Wisdom, Mont….The cold reached all the way to New Orleans on Friday, less than five days before Mardi Gras….

 

“Montana’s state government reopened Friday after shutting down the day before because of the cold and wind, by Wyoming Gov. Mike Sullivan closed his government because of the cold and more than a foot of snow….Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton gave state workers more time to get to work because of icy roads.

 

“An estimated 300 travelers had been stranded since Wednesday at Dubois, Idaho, and roads out of the area remained closed by snow Friday, among a number of highways closed in the state.

 

“Many schools in Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington state and Wyoming told students to stay home Friday because of slippery roads and the cold. Some colleges and universities also closed….

 

“Many cities stepped up aid to the homeless. Shelters in Denver agreed to remain open during the day, rather than putting their clients out on the street until nightfall…The city also contracted with hotels to house homeless people…Some homeless shelters in Oregon reported operating beyond normal capacity. In Minneapolis, as many as 400 people slept outside Thursday night, including 150 in campsites, said Mary Jo Copeland, director of Sharing and Caring, a day shelter for the poor. Four homeless people have been treated for frostbite. Seattle Mayor Charles Royer asked residents to donate blankets, warm clothing toiletries and non-perishable food for the city’s homeless.

 

“At Paducah, Texas, hundreds of people were left without heat when a 4-inch natural gas pipeline ruptured.” (AP. “Arctic air…chill on nation.” Port Arthur News, 2-4-1989, p. 1 & 2.)

 

Feb 5: “By The Associated Press. The arctic cold wave that shocked even Alaska moved far enough south to chill Mardi Gras revelers Saturday, while blowing snow and temperatures as low as 50 degrees below zero hampered travel in the northern Rockies and Plains.

 

“At least 23 deaths around the nation were blamed on the cold front, including four in sledding accidents.

 

“There was too much snow for a major ski competition in Colorado; a group of travelers had to be rescued from a snowbank by a freight train in Wyoming, and a small Idaho town was isolated by drifting snow.

 

“The Northwest’s giant Bonneville Power Administration, which normally has electricity to spare, sought power and water from elsewhere to meet demand for heat. Texas worried that its natural gas wells couldn’t keep up with demand….

 

“Record lows for the date Saturday [Feb 4] included 7 degrees at Seattle; 33 below zero at Great Falls, Mont.; 29 below at Duluth, Minn., and 22 below at Billings, Mont. Records also fell as far south as Texas, with a low of 4 at Lubbock and 16 at Wichita Falls, while Midland tied ites record of 9 degrees. But the coldest official reading in the Lower 48 states was 50 below zero at Wisdom, Mont., the weather service said, followed by 44 below at Butte, Mont. By contrast, Anchorage, Alaska, had a low of 12 below zero….

 

“A foot of snow fell overnight at Alta, Utah, bringing the ski resort’s total since late Wednesday to 49 inches. Some highways in northern Utah were blocked by snowdrifts. Snow fell at an inch an hour in parts of California’s Sierra Nevada. Up to 4 feet of snow fell in the Lake Tahoe area and Norden at Donner Summit got 40 inches of snow over two days, officials said. Intrstate 80 through the Sierra was reopened Friday night after being closed more that a day by blowing snow, but some other highways remained closed by snow….

 

“Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus declared a state of emergency Saturday in Bonner County, where high wind Wednesday toppled hundreds of trees and left hundreds of people without electricity. The Bonner County Commission requested the declaration after utilities reported power might not be restored until Monday.” (Associated Press. “Cold wave kills 23, attacks Mardi Gras.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-5-1989, p. 1.)

 

Feb 6: “The Alaskan ‘big chill’ held a frigid grip over nearly the entire nation Sunday [Feb 5], stinging pockets of the South with freezing rain that coated orange trees with ice, canceled airplane flights and closed highways. ‘It looks like the cold weather is going to hang on for a while,’ National Weather Service forecaster Lyle Alexander said. ‘There is still plenty of cold air coming down.’ The cold weather chilled all the lower 48 states except Florida, southern Georgia, southern Arizona and southwest New Mexico, he said. Temperatures below normal were expected through Feb. 13 because of the icy Alaskan air. The cold threatened citrus in California as well as Texas….

 

“Authorities blamed the weather for at least nine deaths in Texas during the weekend. Four people died of exposure and five were killed in accidents on icy roads. Two people froze to death in Oklahoma and two people have died on icy Oregon highways since the chill slammed the nation…

 

“Record lows were set or tied Sunday in Abilene, Texas, (9); Alameda, Calif., (34); Astoria, Ore., (9); Billings, Mont., (19 below); Boise, Idaho, (15 below); Calico Rock, Ariz., (8); Eugene, Ore., (4); Hot Springs, Ark., (11); Houston (27); Klamath Falls, Ore., (10 below); Lewiston, Idaho, (5 below); Midland, Texas, (10); Oakland, Calif., (31); Oklahoma City (3); Pendleton, Ore., (15) below); Portland, Ore., (9); Reno, Nev., (5 below); Sacrament, Calif., (24); Salt Lake City (6 below); San Angelo, Texas, (14); San Francisco (31); Seattle (14); Walla Walla, Wash., (13 below); and Wichita Falls, Texas, (7). Denver reached its coldest since Jan. 12, 1963, with 24 below. Ely, Nev., came within 1 degree of its all-time low of 28 below.

 

“Freezing rain fell from southern and eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley to parts of Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia.

 

“Snow fell in New England, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, northeast and central Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Wyoming, northern New Mexico, northern Arizona and west central Nevada. Most of the snow was light, but 23 inches was reported on the ground at Red River, N.M.

 

“In Austin, Texas, where sleet and freezing drizzle fell, Mayor Lee Cooke proclaimed a state of emergency and both houses of the state Legislature planned to take the day off Monday. Some 385 traffic accidents were reported between 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. in the city Sunday, said police communications supervisor Lela Brown….U.S. 77 and U.S. 83 were closed in the Rio Grande Valley and Interstate 10 and U.S. 290 between Houston and Austin were blocked at times by accidents. The entire freeway systems in San Antonio and Corpus Christi were shut down. ‘Every single street out there is frozen up pretty good,’ said police Sgt. Frank Akeroyd in San Antonio. ‘Driving is definitely hazardous,’ he said. ‘We’ve had a number of people step outdoors and fall down. Emergency Medical Service is keeping busy just picking people up off the ground.’….

 

“A Continental Airlines 727 with 42 people aboard skidded off an icy runway at San Antonio International Airport, but no one was hurt, an airport spokeswoman said. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, American Airlines canceled 250 of its approximately 400 flights and Delta Airlines canceled 92 flights

 

“Lone Star Gas of Dallas, which provides natural gas to two-thirds of the state, began curtailing supplies to big industrial clients, including 19 Dallas-area school districts, company spokesman Howard Matson said Sunday….

 

“The weather service said many bridges and roads were coated with ice in southern Arkansas and western and northern Mississippi. Ice also closed major roads in northern and west central Louisiana. In northern California, a light blanket of snow covered the higher hills of the San Francisco Bay area. Snow was also reported at sea level in Marin County for the first time in 13 years….” (Rushville Republican, IN. “Big chill hits Indiana, U.S.” 2-6-1989, p. 2.)

 

Feb 7: “Up to 7 feet of snow surprised New Mexico ski areas Monday and closed roads, while the spread of the arctic old wave turned highways into dangerous skating rinks with snow and freezing rain from the deep South to the Northeast.

 

“A week after the arctic air that stunned Alaska crossed Canada into the Lower 48, thermometers dropped to 49 degrees below zero at Craig, Colo., with an unofficial minus 52 at nearby Hayden, Colo., and San Francisco hit a low of 31, lowest for February since record-keeping began in 1872,

 

“In Kansas, a third death was blamed on the cold as temperatures began to warm up after subzero temperatures over the weekend. Mary Crane, 82, Lawrence, died from severe hypothermia Sunday night after being found Sunday morning in her dining room, which was heated by two gas heaters that police said were insufficient to heat the room. Carlton Lee, 34, died of hypothermia in Kansas City, Kan., on Friday. Lee, a paraplegic, was found in an unheated home. Lawrence Kingcade, 67, Louisburg, died of hypothermia and a heart attack Saturday night after being found in his home. Officials said. Temperatures warmed to the upper teens and low 20s Monday in north-central and northwest Kansas. Belleville, after a morning low of 2, warmed to 21 degrees. Salina registered a high of 20 and a low of 5 while Russell was at 20 and 2. Beloit and Concordia recorded highs of 19, with Beloit dipping to 4 and Concordia to 1. Goodland recovered from an overnight low of 5 below zero to top out at 17 degrees.

 

“Icy roads caused accidents and slowed commuters from Texas and Mississippi to Kentucky and Pennsylvania to metropolitan New York City.

 

“At least 49 deaths have been blamed on the weather since Jan. 31.

 

“Thirty-three cities posted record low temperatures Monday, according to the National Weather Service. Ely, Nev., dropped to 30 below zero, its coldest on record for any date.” (Associated Press. “Arctic blast spawns snow, freezing rain.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-7-1989, p. 1.

 

Feb 8: “Californians grabbed their cameras to capture a rare snowfall from the beaches of Malibu to the streets of Pam Springs today…Some Los Angeles suburbs got up to 2 inches of snow….

 

“After more than a week of record cold in the lower 48 states, warmer temperatures today gave fruit farmers and others something to cheer about. ‘The freeze-a-thon is over,’ the National Weather Service declared in San Antonio, Texas….

 

“Not that spring is just around the corner. Temperatures today in most places were expected to be only slightly higher than those Tuesday [Feb 7], when records were set in dozens of cities. The bitter cold was expected to linger in Colorado particularly, where it was 35 below zero early today in the town of Craig. And more cold weather came calling from Canada, moving into the norther Plains on Tuesday and heading toward to Great Lakes, where it was expected to hit late today.

 

“At least 84 deaths have been attributed to the weather since Jan. 31, when bitter arctic air from Alaska made its way into the lower 48 states. In one such death Tuesday, an elderly woman who had more than $5,000 stashed in her plywood shack in Laredo, Texas, died of hypothermia.

 

“In Idaho, where hundreds of cattle and sheep have died in towering snow drifts, National Guardsmen in helicopters flew over the countryside to help ranchers search for surviving livestock.

 

“But in one indication of a thaw, the temperature in Fairbanks, Alaska, climbed above zero Tuesday for the first time in 26 days….” (Associated Press. “California residents surprised by snow.” Iola Register, KS. 2-8-1989, p. 2.)

 

Sources

 

Appeal-Democrat, Marysville-Yuba City, CA. “Weather.” 2-9-1989, A12. Accessed 7-31-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/marysville-yuba-city-appeal-democrat-feb-09-1989-p-12/

 

Associated Press. “7 deaths, I-5 closure blamed on Arctic blast.” Ukiah Daily Journal, CA, 2-10-1989, p. 11. Accessed 7-30-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/ukiah-daily-journal-feb-10-1989-p-11/

 

Associated Press. “Arctic air puts chill on nation.” Port Arthur News, TX, 2-4-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/port-arthur-news-feb-04-1989-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “Arctic blast spawns snow, freezing rain.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-7-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salina-journal-feb-07-1989-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “California residents surprised by snow.” Iola Register, KS. 2-8-1989, p. 2. Accessed 7-30-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/iola-register-feb-08-1989-p-2/

 

Associated Press. “Cold wave kills 23, attacks Mardi Gras.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-5-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/salina-journal-feb-05-1989-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “Frigid wave puts Midwest on ice.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-3-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-feb-03-1989-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “Polar cold numbs balmy nation. Temperature drops of 23 degrees in one minute, 80 degrees in a day reported.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-1-1989, p. 5. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-feb-01-1989-p-5/

 

Associated Press. “Seven deaths in Texas related to weather.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 2-6-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kerrville-daily-times-feb-06-1989-p-1/

 

Associated Press. “Snow falls in Los Angeles; freeze continues.” Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, 2-9-1989, p. 2A. Accessed 7-30-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kannapolis-daily-independent-feb-09-1989-p-2/

 

Associated Press. “Storm blasts its way eastward.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-2-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-28-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/walla-walla-union-bulletin-feb-02-1989-p-1/

 

Daily Times (Roger Burr) Farmington, NM. “Cold kills area man.” 2-6-1989, B1. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/farmington-daily-times-feb-06-1989-p-1/

 

Journal-World/Bonnie Dunham, Lawrence, KS. “Hypothermia cited in death.” 2-6-1989, p. 1. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/lawrence-journal-world-feb-06-1989-p-1/

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 1, January 1989. Asheville, NC: NCDC, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, NOAA. Accessed 7-30-2018 at: https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-351A88C3-75A1-4FCB-A6FC-D12FD2D830AB.pdf

 

National Climatic Data Center. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, February 1989. Asheville, NC: NCDC, National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, NOAA. Accessed 7-28-2018 at: https://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/orders/IPS/IPS-D455E757-57AF-457E-8E37-7EBC2C9E990E.pdf

 

Rushville Republican, IN. “Big chill hits Indiana, U.S.” 2-6-1989, p. 2. Accessed 7-29-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/rushville-republican-feb-06-1989-p-2/

 

Taylor, George H. and Raymond R. Hatton. Oregon Weather Book: A State of Extremes.  Corvallis: Oregon Sate University Press, 1999.

 

United Press International. “Woman dies of exposure after fall,” New Castle News, PA, 2-11-1989, p. 9. Accessed 7-30-2018 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/new-castle-news-feb-11-1989-p-9/

 

 

[1] “At least 49 deaths have been blamed on the weather since Jan. 31.” [Blanchard: have not seen a Jan 31 death.]

[2] Referring on Jan 31-Feb 8 in Western US: “In all there were at least 22 deaths directly attributed to the cold, most resulting from hypothermia brought on by overexposure.”

[3] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 36.

[4] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 17.

[5] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 17.

[6] Associated Press. “Snow falls in Los Angeles; freeze continues.” Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, 2-9-1989, 2.

[7] Appeal-Democrat, Marysville-Yuba City, CA. “Weather.” 2-9-1989, A12.

[8] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 18,

[9] The car “went over the edge of Soledad Canyon Road. He was found dead in his car at the bottom of a 60-foot ravine.” (NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 18.)

[10] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 18.

[11] Assoc. Press. “Snow falls in Los Angeles; freeze continues.” Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, 2-9-1989, 2.

[12] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 18.

[13] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 19.

[14] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 19.

[15] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 20.

[16] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 21.

[17] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 21. Though the NCDC notes the death of a female, we note a press report that: “Carlton Lee, 34, died of hypothermia in Kansas City, Kan., on Friday [3^rd]. Lee, a paraplegic, was found in an unheated home.” (AP. “Arctic blast spawns snow, freezing rain.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-7-1989, p. 1.)

[18] A press report notes: “The intense cold weather may have caused the death of an elderly Lawrence woman on Sunday night. A Lawrence Memorial Hospital official said Marie Crane, 82, had been admitted Sunday morning with a diagnosis of ‘severe hypothermia.’….[police] said they found her sitting in her dining room ‘unresponsive and suffering from hypothermia.’ Police also said ‘two gas heaters were turned on, but were insufficient to heat the room and the house was poorly insulated.’….She never regained consciousness [and] died at 9:24 p.m….” (Journal-World/Bonnie Dunham, Lawrence, KS. “Hypothermia cited in death.” 2-6-1989, p. 1.)

[19] AP notes: “Lawrence Kingcade, 67, Louisburg, died of hypothermia and a heart attack Saturday night after being found in his home, officials said.” (AP. “Arctic blast spawns snow, freezing rain.” Salina Journal, KS, 2-7-1989, 1.)

[20] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 24. Notes, under “Ice Storm” heading: “The hardest hit areas were the north-central, northeast, and east-central sections where 1 to 2 inches of ice accumulation on the 5^th and 6^th resulted in powerline breaks and damage to trees….Numerous traffic accidents were reported with at least six traffic fatalities resulting from icy road conditions.”

[21] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 25.

[22] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 25.

[23] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 25.

[24] Associated Press. “Storm blasts its way eastward,” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-2-1989, p. 1.

[25] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 26.

[26] The NCDC had a date range of Feb 1-5. The precise date of Feb 2 is from: Associated Press. “Frigid wave puts Midwest on ice.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, 2-3-1989, p. 1.

[27] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 1, Jan 1989, p. 27. Listing for Jan 31 is under “Blizzard” category.

[28] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 26.

[29] Daily Times (Roger Burr) Farmington, NM. “Cold kills area man.” 2-6-1989, B1.

[30] Feb 2 “Winter Storm.” “A combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain fell over all of Eastern New York. Many local roads became slippery, with hundreds of minor car accidents occurring throughout the area. In Tioga County roads west of Binghamton had to be closed between 4 and 6 am due to the accumulation of ice.”

[31] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 29.

[32] NCDC. Storm Data, Vol. 31, No. 2, Feb 1989, p. 31. Notes he was “middle-aged.”

[33] Associated Press. “Storm blasts its way eastward,” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-2-1989, p. 1.

[34] United Press International. “Woman dies of exposure after fall,” New Castle News, PA, 2-11-1989, p. 9. Notes that temperatures had dropped into the single digits overnight.

[35] I realize Austin is not in northern Texas, but this is a weather-related accident: “Authorities blamed icy road conditions for a crash in Fayette County, east of Austin, that killed a 28-year-old Victoria man. Johnny Darden was killed Saturday night when he lost control of his pickup and slammed into a tree on Interstate 10 west of Schulenburg.” (AP. “Seven deaths in Texas related to weather.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 2-6-1989, p. 1.)

[36] Skidded off bridge. (AP. “Seven deaths in Texas related to weather.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 2-6-1989, p. 1.)

[37] Associated Press. “Seven deaths in Texas related to weather.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 2-6-1989, p. 1. Victim identified as Vance Stone.

[38] NCDC Storm Data report has a date range of Feb 4-6. An AP press report has the death on Feb 5. Notes: “He was attempting to get out of his car and into a wheelchair when the wheelchair slid down an icy ramp and the man was unable to get up, police said.” (AP. “Seven deaths in Texas related to weather.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX, 2-6-1989, p. 1.)

[39] Associated Press. “California residents surprised by snow.” Iola Register, KS. 2-8-1989, p. 2.

[40] Thirty-five-year-old male. (AP. “Frigid wave puts Midwest on ice.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, 2-3-1989, p. 1.)

[41] This death was determined to be from a heart attack which was related to exposure to extreme cold.

[42] Associated Press. “Storm blasts its way eastward,” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA, 2-2-1989, p. 1.

[43] United Press International. “Woman dies of exposure after fall,” New Castle News, PA, 2-11-1989, p. 9.

[44] So, for example, vehicular accidents on icy roads would not be included, because viewed as indirect.

–6-7  Miles, Kathleen. “Gun Control California: Stockton School Shooting…” 12-18-2012.[2]

–5-6  New York Times.  “Ban on Assault Rifles Takes Effect in Los Angeles.” 3-3-1989.

–5-6  NY Times. “Five Children Killed as Gunman Attacks a California School.” 1-18-1989.

–5-6  Reinhold, Robert. “After Shooting, Horror but Few Answers. NYT. 1-19-1989.

–5-6  Reinhold, Robert. “Killer Depicted as Loner Full of Hate.” NYT, 1-20-1989.

–5-6  Roth/Koper. “Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: 1994-96.” NIJ, Dept. Justice.

–5-6  Time Magazine. “Slaughter in A School Yard.” 6-24-2001.

—   5  OJP, DOJ.  Community Crisis Response Team Training Manual: 2nd Ed. (Appendix D).

—   5  Gross, Jane. “Stockton Journal; Where 5 Died, a Monk Gives Solace.” NYT, 5-11-1989.

—   5  Reinhold, Robert. “Effort to Ban Assault Rifles Gains Momentum.” NYT, 1-28-1989.

 

Narrative Information

 

Miles:  “Could the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School be the catalyst needed to enact stricter gun control laws? If the 1989 elementary school shooting in Stockton, Calif., is any indication, yes.

 

“In January 1989, Patrick Purdy, 26, stepped onto the grounds of Cleveland Elementary School and raked the school yard with at least 106 bullets from an AK-47 rifle. He killed five children, ages 6 to 9, and one teacher and injured 29 other students, before fatally shooting himself.

 

“Less than a year later, California enacted one of the first bans on assault weapons. “[The Stockton shooting] was so shocking, California had to take action,” said Griffin Dix, former president of the California chapters of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.”  (Miles, Kathleen. “Gun Control California: Stockton School Shooting in 1989 Was Catalyst For Stricter Gun Control.” Huffington Post, Los Angeles, 12-18-2012.)

 

OJP: “Four Cambodians and one Vietnamese [girls]. Twenty-nine other students and a teacher were wounded, 15 seriously. The gunman killed himself.”  (Office of Justice Programs, US Dept. of Justice. Community Crisis Response Team Training Manual: 2nd Ed. (Appendix D).)

 

Roth and Koper: “On January 17, 1989, Patrick Edward Purdy, armed with an AKS rifle – a semiautomatic variant of the military AK–47 — returned to his childhood elementary school in Stockton, California, and opened fire, killing 5 children and wounding 30 others. Purdy, a drifter,

squeezed off more than 100 rounds in 1 minute before turning the weapon on himself.

 

“During the 1980s and early 1990s, this tragedy and other similar acts of seemingly senseless violence, coupled with escalating turf and drug wars waged by urban gangs, sparked a national debate over whether legislation was needed to end, or at least restrict, the market for imported and domestic “assault weapons.” Beginning in 1989, a few States enacted their own assault weapons bans, but it was not until 1994 that a Federal law was enacted.

 

“On September 13, 1994, Title XI of the Federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 — known as the Crime Control Act of 1994 — took effect. Subtitle A (the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act) of the act banned the manufacture, transfer, and possession of certain semiautomatic firearms designated as assault weapons and “large capacity” ammunition magazines. The legislation required the Attorney General to deliver to Congress within 30 months an evaluation of the effects of the ban. To meet this requirement, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded research from October 1995 to December 1996 to evaluate the impact of Subtitle A. This Research in Brief summarizes the results of that evaluation.

 

“A number of factors — including the fact that the banned weapons and magazines were rarely used to commit murders in this country, the limited availability of data on the weapons, other components of the Crime Control Act of 1994, and State and local initiatives implemented at the

same time — posed challenges in discerning the effects of the ban. The ban appears to have had clear short-term effects on the gun market, some of which were unintended consequences: production of the banned weapons increased before the law took effect, and prices fell afterward.

This suggests that the weapons became more available generally, but they must have become less accessible to criminals because there was at least a short-term decrease in criminal use of the banned weapons…. [p. 1.]

 

“Evidence suggests that the ban may have contributed to a reduction in the gun murder rate and

murders of police officers by criminals armed with assault weapons.

 

“The ban has failed to reduce the average number of victims per gun murder incident or multiple

gunshot wound victims….” (Roth, Jeffrey A. and Christopher S. Koper. “Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: 1994-96.” National Institute of Justice Research in Brief, March 1999, p. 1-2.)

 

Time: “The gunman drove his Chevrolet station wagon to the rear of Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, Calif. He stepped out, carrying a Chinese-made semiautomatic AK-47 rifle loaded with 75 bullets. Carved into the AK-47’s stock were disconnected words: “freedom,” “victory,” “Hezbollah.” He wore a flak jacket under a camouflage shirt jacket that bore other words, one misspelled: “PLO,” “Libya,” “death to the Great Satin.” He had placed plugs in his ears to dull the sounds of what he was about to do. Patrick Purdy, 26, a drifter with guerrilla-warfare fantasies, had returned to the school he attended 16 years earlier for a final, cowardly assault.

“Purdy set his station wagon afire with a gasoline-filled beer bottle. Then the man described in a 1987 police report as suffering from “mild mental retardation” walked toward the school yard. At least 300 pupils, mostly kindergartners through third-graders, were enjoying their lunchtime recess. Impassively, Purdy squeezed the trigger of his rifle, then reloaded, raking the yard with at least 106 bullets. As children screamed in pain and fear, Purdy placed a 9-mm pistol to his head and killed himself.  When the four-minute assault was over, five children, ages 6 to 9, were dead. One teacher and 29 pupils were wounded. Those killed were all Southeast Asians, from war-refugee groups that make up 71% of the school’s enrollment.

“Why did Purdy gun down a yard full of children? “He just hated everybody,” said Stockton Police Captain Dennis Perry. The more significant question: Why could Purdy, an alcoholic who had been arrested for such offenses as selling weapons and attempted robbery, walk into a gun shop in Sandy, Ore., and leave with an AK-47 under his arm? The easy availability of weapons like this, which have no purpose other than killing human beings, can all too readily turn the delusions of sick gunmen into tragic nightmares.” (Time Magazine. “Slaughter in A School Yard.” 6-24-2001.)

 

Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: “Among other things, California:

 

Requires all gun sales to be processed through a licensed dealer, requiring a background check;

Requires gun dealers to obtain a state license;

Bans most assault weapons and 50 caliber rifles, and prohibits the sale or transfer of large capacity ammunition magazines;

Requires handgun purchasers to obtain a license, after passing a written test;

Regulates gun shows;

Limits handgun purchases to one per person per month;

Prohibits the sale of “unsafe handguns” not on the roster of approved handguns;

Imposes a ten-day waiting period prior to the sale or transfer of a firearm;

Maintains permanent records of firearm sales;

Gives local law enforcement discretion to deny a license to carry a concealed weapon;

and

Gives local governments authority to regulate firearms and ammunition, although the state legislature has expressly removed this authority in certain areas.”

 

(Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “California State Law Summary.” 2-24-2012.)

 

Contemporary Newspapers:

 

Jan 18: “By the Associated Press.  A young drifter dressed in military fatigues opened fire with a semiautomatic rifle at children playing outside and others inside an elementary school today. Five children between 6 and 9 years old, all of them refugees from Southeast Asia, were killed and more than 30 people were wounded, about half of them critically, before the gunman shot himself to death.  ‘He was just standing there with a gun, making wide sweeps,’ said Lori Mackey, who teaches deaf children at the Cleveland Elementary School.  She said she ran to her classroom window when she heard what she thought were firecrackers, and saw a man standing in the schoolyard, spraying gunfire from what turned out to be a Russian-designed AK-47 rifle. There were 400 to 500 pupils from the first to third grades playing at the noontime recess.

 

“She said that when she realized what was happening, she took her 10 pupils into a rear room where they could not be seen. ‘’He was not talking, he was not yelling, he was very straight-faced,’’ she said of the gunman…” (New York Times. “Five Children Killed as Gunman Attacks a California School.” 1-18-1989.)

 

March 3:  “AP. Military-style assault rifles and short-barrel shotguns have become illegal here [Los Angeles] under a law that critics say has turned thousands of citizens into lawbreakers.  The ban, on which opinion is strongly divided, became effective Wednesday in the nation’s second-largest city, prompted by public outrage over street gang warfare waged with military arms and by the Jan. 17 slaying of five schoolchildren in Stockton, Calif.  The killer in the Stockton case, Patrick Purdy, shot the children with an AKM-47 assault rifle, a semiautomatic version of the gun used by the military in Soviet bloc. He then killed himself with another weapon….

 

“The Los Angeles measure, which was approved by the City Council in February, makes it a misdemeanor to sell or to own a semiautomatic weapon within the city limits.

 

“The legislation bans semiautomatic rifles and carbines with a capacity of 20 bullets or more and short-barrel shotguns that hold six or more shells. Rifles banned by name are the Uzi, AK-47, AKM-47, AR-15, Ingram MAC-10 and MAC-11.

 

“The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday not to ban semiautomatic weapons within the county’s unincorporated areas. But the board voted to support a statewide ban of such weapons, and measures to that effect are advancing in the State Legislature….

 

“Gun shop owners, supported by the National Rifle Association, are challenging the gun law here and a similar one in Stockton….” (New York Times. “Ban on Assault Rifles Takes Effect in Los Angeles.” 3-3-1989.)

 

May 11, Gross: “….Patrick Purdy sprayed the schoolyard with gunfire, killing four Cambodian children and one Vietnamese.” (Gross, Jane. “Stockton Journal; Where 5 Died, a Monk Gives Solace.” New York Times, 5-11-1989.)

 

Sources

 

Gross, Jane. “Stockton Journal; Where 5 Died, a Monk Gives Solace.” New York Times, 5-11-1989. Accessed 1-15-2013: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/11/us/stockton-journal-where-5-died-a-monk-gives-solace.html

 

Miles, Kathleen. “Gun Control California: Stockton School Shooting in 1989 Was Catalyst For Stricter Gun Control.” Huffington Post, Los Angeles, 12-18-2012. Accessed 1-15-2013 at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/gun-control-california-stockton-school-shooting_n_2316666.html

 

New York Times. “Ban on Assault Rifles Takes Effect in Los Angeles.” 3-3-1989. Accessed 1-15-2013: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/03/us/ban-on-assault-rifles-takes-effect-in-los-angeles.html

 

New York Times. “Five Children Killed as Gunman Attacks a California School.” 1-18-1989. Accessed 1-15-2013: At: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/18/us/five-children-killed-as-gunman-attacks-a-california-school.html

 

Office of Justice Programs, United States Department of Justice. Community Crisis Response Team Training Manual: Second Edition (Appendix D: Catastrophes Used as Reference Points in Training Curricula). Washington, DC: OJP, U.S. Department of Justice. Accessed at:  http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ovc/publications/infores/crt/pdftxt/appendd.txt

 

Reinhold, Robert. “After Shooting, Horror but Few Answers. New York Times. 1-19-1989. Accessed 1-15-2013: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/19/us/after-shooting-horror-but-few-answers.html

 

Reinhold, Robert. “Effort to Ban Assault Rifles Gains Momentum.” New York Times, 1-28-1989. Accessed 1-15-2013: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/28/us/effort-to-ban-assault-rifles-gains-momentum.html

 

Reinhold, Robert. “Killer Depicted as Loner Full of Hate.” New York Times, 1-20-1989. Accessed 1-15-2013: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/20/us/killer-depicted-as-loner-full-of-hate.html

 

Roth, Jeffrey A. and Christopher S. Koper. “Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: 1994-96.” National Institute of Justice Research in Brief, March 1999. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 12 pages. Accessed 7-4-2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/173405.pdf

 

Time Magazine. “Slaughter in A School Yard.” 6-24-2001. Accessed 1-15-2013 at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,151105,00.html

 

 

 

 

[1] Five children, ages 6-9, before gunman killed himself. The question for some is does one count the murderer as a victim of this tragedy as well? The one person range in the sources below reflect this question, with the exception of a source which incorrectly notes the death of one teacher (one teacher was injured.)

[2] Incorrect range – five children were killed before gunman killed himself – for a total of six deaths.

— ~62  Hinman, et al. “Acute Measles Mortality in the United States, 1987-2002.” JID, V189.[1]

—   49  NIP[2] surveillance (1987-2002), in Hinman.[3]

—   47  Blanchard tally of State breakouts below.

—   45  Los Angeles Times. “Measles Outbreak Plagues 23 States; Funds Run Short.” 4-14-1990.

—   45  McClatchy. “Measles is a leading killer of children…” Orange County Register, 4-1-1990.

—   42  Big Spring Herald, TX. “Crossroads counties miss measles epidemic.” 12-31-1989, 1-2.[4]

—   41  CDC. “Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990.” MMWR.

—   40  NCHS[5] multiple-cause mortality database (1987-1999), in Hinman.[6]

 

California                  (22)

— 22  LA and San Bernardino Counties.[7]

–17  Los Angeles Co. AP. “Measles reaches epidemic….” Ukiah Daily Journal, 4-1-1990, A10.

—  5  San Bernardino Co. AP. “Measles reaches epidemic…” Ukiah Daily Journal, 4-1-1990, A10

— 20  Jacobs. “Immunizations save kids’ lives.” Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, 10-14-1990, A-5.[8]

— 17  CDC. “Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990.” MMWR.

 

District of Columbia (  1)

 

Illinois                        (12)

–12  Daily Herald (Dave Urbanek). “Chicago staves off measles epidemic.” 3-26-1991, p. 4.[9]

–11  CDC. “Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990.” MMWR.

–10  Chicago and Cook County

—  8  Chicago area; seven had not been vaccinated.[10]

—  2  Cook County. The Star, Orland Park, IL. “Fewer measles cases…” 12-6-1990, p. 6.

 

Missouri                     (  1)

— 1  CDC. “Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990.” MMWR.

 

Texas                          (10)

–10  CDC. “Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990.” MMWR.

–10  Houston area, Oct 1988-Dec 1989. Big Spring Herald, TX. “Crossroads…” 12-31-1989, 1.

—  6  Bentsen. “U.S. must improve child health care.” Kerrville Daily Times TX. 1-18-1990, 5A.[11]

 

Wisconsin                  (  1)

— 1  CDC. “Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990.” MMWR.

 

Narrative Information

 

CDC: “As of May 11, 1990, local and state health departments reported a provisional total of 17,850 measles cases for 1989 — a 423% increase over the 3411 cases reported for 1988 (Figure 1). Forty-one measles-associated deaths have been reported for 1989. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia reported cases, compared with 36 states that reported cases during 1988. The overall incidence rate in 1989 was 7.3 cases per 100,000 population–more than five times the rate of 1.4 per 100,000 for 1988.

 

“Twenty-three states reported at least 100 cases each. Four states reported greater than 2500 cases each, accounting for 12,127 (67.9%) of the total reported cases: Illinois (3232), Texas (3201), California (3053), and Ohio (2641). Incidence rates of greater than 10.0 per 100,000 population occurred in Illinois (27.8), Ohio (24.3), Texas (19.0), Wisconsin (16.7), Missouri (13.1), and California (10.8).

 

“A total of 16,734 (93.7%) cases met the clinical case definition for measles,** and 4420 (24.8%) were serologically confirmed. Importations from other countries accounted for 321 (1.8%) cases; an additional 222 (1.2%) cases were epidemiologically linked to imported cases.

 

“Children less than 5 years of age accounted for 36.7% of measles cases, compared with 28.7% of cases in 1988… The estimated incidence rates for all age groups were higher in 1989 than in 1988. The largest increases in incidence rates were among adults aged 25-29 years (+600%) and children aged less than 1 year (+592%) and 1-4 years (+562%). The highest incidence rate was among children less than 1 year of age (51.9 per 100,000).

 

“A total of 248 outbreaks, each involving from five to 2440 persons, accounted for 79.4% of the cases. Outbreaks were classified based on the age group with the most cases. Fifty-six outbreaks involved predominantly preschool-aged (less than 5 years of age) children, 170 involved predominantly school-aged (5-19 years) persons, and 22 involved predominantly post-school-aged (greater than or equal to 20 years) persons. Outbreaks involving predominantly preschool-aged children accounted for 8007 (44.9%) cases; outbreaks involving predominantly school-aged persons, 5662 (31.7%); and outbreaks involving predominantly post-school-aged persons, 508 (2.8%).

 

“Twenty-five outbreaks involved greater than or equal to 100 cases each and accounted for 60% of the cases reported for 1989; nine were outbreaks involving predominantly preschool-aged children and ranged from 105 to 2440 cases. The largest outbreaks involving predominantly preschool-aged children occurred in Los Angeles (2440 cases), Chicago (2178 cases), and Houston (1434 cases) and accounted for 33.9% of all cases reported for 1989. Sixteen outbreaks involving predominantly school-aged children, ranging from 100 to 437 cases, accounted for 3277 (18.4%) cases….

 

“A provisional total of 41 measles-associated deaths were reported, for a case-fatality rate of 2.3 deaths per 1000 reported cases. Deaths were reported from five states (California (17), Illinois (11), Texas (10), and Missouri and Wisconsin (one each)) and the District of Columbia (one), and occurred primarily in outbreaks among preschool-aged children. Twenty-nine (70.7%) deaths occurred among children less than 5 years of age, including nine (22.0%) less than 12 months of age; two deaths were in 11-year-olds. Twenty-nine (93.5%) of these 31 children were unvaccinated. Two children, one of whom had been vaccinated, had serious underlying disease (one case each of leukemia and congenital neurologic defects). The remaining 10 deaths occurred in adults aged 19-33 years. Nine of these patients were unvaccinated. Three had underlying medical conditions (one each with leukemia, scleroderma (not on steroids), and diabetes mellitus). Most deaths were attributed to pneumonia.

 

“Vaccination Status. Of reported patients, 7149 (40.1%) were known to have been vaccinated on or after their first birthday (Table 2). Approximately 79% of appropriately vaccinated persons with measles were 5-19 years of age. The remaining 10,654 (59.7%) persons with measles were unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated (i.e., vaccinated before their first birthday). Of these persons, routine vaccination was indicated for 6073 (57.0% (34.0% of total)). Almost 40% of these vaccine-eligible persons were children 16 months to 4 years of age. Measles occurred in 3699 (20.7%) persons for whom routine vaccination was not indicated; 3203 (17.9% of total) children were less than 16 months of age. Eight hundred eighty-two (4.9%) were unvaccinated for other reasons….

 

“Editorial Note: The provisional total of 17,850 measles cases reported in 1989 is the largest number reported since 1978. This marked increase in disease incidence has continued through early 1990….

 

“In addition to the increased incidence of measles in all age groups during 1989-1990, the age distribution of cases has changed from that observed in previous years. From 1988 to 1989 the proportion of patients less than 5 years of age increased from 28.6% to 36.7%. For the first 20 weeks of 1990, 42.3% of patients were in this age group. In comparison, a median of 28.5% of patients reported during 1980-1988 were in this age group. Conversely, the proportion of school-aged persons with measles decreased. During 1980-1988, a median of 53.3% of reported cases were in persons 5-19 years of age, compared with 46.4% in 1989; more than half of the patients in this age group were 15-19 years old. In the prevaccine era, greater than 50% of reported measles patients were 5-9 years old; in 1989-1990, this age group represented approximately 10% of total measles cases.

 

“As in 1988, primarily two types of outbreaks occurred in 1989: those among unvaccinated preschool-aged children and those among highly vaccinated ( greater than 90%) school- and college-aged populations. During 1985-1988, most cases were reported from outbreaks involving predominantly school-aged children; a median of 47 outbreaks involving predominantly school-aged children occurred annually, accounting for a median of 51% of all reported measles cases. Also during this period, a median of eight outbreaks involving predominantly preschool-aged children occurred annually, accounting for a median of 20% of reported cases (3). Although the number and size of both types of outbreaks increased in 1989, the relative impact of these outbreaks changed. In 1989, 45% of all cases were reported from outbreaks involving predominantly preschool-aged children, while only 32% occurred in outbreaks involving predominantly school-aged children.

 

“The 41 deaths in 1989 are the largest number reported in one year since 1971, when 90 deaths and 75,290 measles cases were reported. Measles-associated deaths were primarily occurring among unvaccinated preschool-aged children and adults–groups known to be at increased risk for both complications of measles and death. Reasons for the apparent increase in the case-fatality rate are unclear but may include the higher proportion of cases occurring among younger age groups; underreporting of less severe cases, particularly in the large outbreaks involving predominantly preschool-aged children; and potential undiagnosed underlying disease in these persons.

 

“The increase in unvaccinated persons with measles reported for 1989 primarily reflected the increasing number of cases reported among unvaccinated inner-city preschool-aged children; to a lesser extent, this trend reflected an increase in cases among children younger than the recommended age for vaccination and among persons with religious or philosophic exemptions to vaccination (5,6). Prevention of outbreaks among preschool-aged children will require intensive efforts to increase age-appropriate vaccination levels in inner-city preschool-aged children and to decrease the age of vaccination to 12 months in some high-risk areas.

 

“In addition to the increase in cases among unvaccinated persons, a large number of cases were reported among persons who were appropriately vaccinated. Approximately 2%-5% of persons who receive a single dose of measles vaccine at greater than or equal to 15 months of age will not develop protective immunity (i.e., vaccine failure). If measles virus circulates at relatively low levels, as occurred from 1981 through 1988, then the risk of measles among persons who fail to respond to a single dose of vaccine will be small and these persons will accumulate in the population. Consequently, when measles virus is introduced into environments where large numbers of vaccinated persons congregate (e.g., schools or colleges), the relatively few susceptible persons may be sufficient to sustain transmission and outbreaks may occur. In order to reduce this pool of susceptible persons resulting from vaccine failure, the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) has recommended a second dose of vaccine for groups of persons at high risk for measles, including new entrants to schools and colleges and other institutions for post-high school education (7). If fully implemented, this strategy should eventually eliminate measles outbreaks in these settings. In the meantime, aggressive outbreak control in school-based outbreaks with revaccination of persons at risk will continue to be necessary.” (CDC. “Current Trends Measles – [US]…” MMWR, 39/21, 6-1-1990.)

 

April 14, 1990, LA Times: “The measles outbreak now plaguing California is part of a larger, two-year epidemic that health officials say is sweeping the nation, causing thousands of cases of illness and scores of deaths. From Maine to Texas, Alaska to Florida, there have been serious measles outbreaks in at least 23 states this year, and the number of reported cases is running about 70% ahead of last year at this time, health officials said. For 1989, the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta reported 17,800 measles cases and 45 deaths….”

 

Texas

 

Bentsen: “According to the Texas Department of Health, last year in one Texas city six children died from the measles, a preventable disease. That’s startling when you consider that it had been 17 years since measles claimed more than five years in Texas, and eight years since any children in our state had died from the disease.”

 

Big Spring Herald: “….There have been 3,119 confirmed cases of red measles this year in about 95 counties of Texas, Hodgson said.[12] The Houston area accounts for about half of those cases, he said, although Dallas has had the most recent outbreak, with about 250 cases. Since October 1988, when the outbreak began in the Houston area, 10 of the measles cases have been fatal. None of the fatalities occurred in West Texas….

 

“The number of red measles cases reported in Texas this year was the most in the state since 1971, when there were 9,585 cases. There were 286 red measles cases in Texas last year.

 

“Nationwide, there have been 42 deaths among 14,714 reported measles cases this year, according to the Associated Press. Measles has claimed more lives in 1989 – mainly among unvaccinated preschoolers and school children whose shots didn’t work – than in any year since 1971, federal health officials say.” (Big Spring Herald (John McMillan), TX. “Crossroads counties miss measles epidemic.” 12-31-1989, pp. 1-2.)

 

Sources

 

ABC 7, Chicago, Eyewitness News (Ben Bradley). “Measles Outbreak: 1989/1990 Outbreak, Today Compared.” 2-9-2015. Accessed 5-5-2016 at: http://abc7chicago.com/health/measles-outbreak-1989-1990-outbreak-today-compared/510538/

 

Associated Press, Yakima, WA. “5 more measles cases reported in Yakima County.” Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, 4-1-1990, 5. Accessed 5-4-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/walla-walla/walla-walla-union-bulletin/1990/04-01/page-5?tag

 

Associated Press, Los Angeles. “Measles reaches epidemic level.” Ukiah Daily Journal, 4-1-1990, A10. Accessed 5-4-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/ukiah/ukiah-daily-journal/1990/04-01/page-10?tag

 

Bentsen, Lloyd (US Senator from Texas). “U.S. must improve child health care.” Kerrville Daily Times, TX. 1-18-1990, 5A. Accessed 5-5-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/texas/kerrville/kerrville-daily-times/1990/02-18/page-5?tag

 

Big Spring Herald (John McMillan), TX. “Crossroads counties miss measles epidemic.” 12-31-1989, pp. 1-2. Accessed 6-16-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/Texas/Big-Spring/big-spring-herald/1989/12-31?tag

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Current Trends Measles – United States, 1989 and First 20 Weeks 1990.” MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), Vol. 39, No. 21, 6-1-1990, pp. 353-355, 361-363. Accessed 6-16-2016 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001632.htm

 

Daily Herald (Dave Urbanek), Arlington Heights, IL. “Chicago staves off measles epidemic.” 3-26-1991, p. 4. Accessed 5-6-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/arlington-heights/daily-herald-suburban-chicago/1991/03-26/page-112?tag

 

Hinman, Alan R., et al. “Acute Measles Mortality in the United States, 1987-2002.” Journal of Infectious Diseases, Vol. 189 (Supplement 1), 2004, pp. S69-S77. Accessed 5-2-2016 at: http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/189/Supplement_1/S69.long

 

Jacobs, Joanne. “Immunizations save kids’ lives.” Chronicle-Telegram, Elyria, OH, 10-14-1990, p. A-5. Accessed 5-4-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/ohio/elyria/elyria-chronicle-telegram/1990/10-14/page-45?tag

 

Los Angeles Times (Ron Harris) “Measles Outbreak Plagues 23 States; Funds Run Short.” 4-14-1990. Accessed 5-5-2016 at: http://articles.latimes.com/1990-04-14/news/mn-967_1_nation-s-measles-outbreak

 

McClatchy News Service/David Schrleberg. “Measles is a leading killer of children in Latin America.” Orange County Register, Santa Ana, CA. 4-1-1990, A24. Accessed 5-4-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/california/santa-ana/santa-ana-orange-county-register/1990/04-01/page-24?tag

 

The Star, Orland Park, IL. “Fewer measles cases spotted, but officials still concerned.” 12-6-1990, p. 6. Accessed 5-3-2016 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/illinois/orland-park/orland-park-star/1990/12-06/page-6?tag

 

 

 

 

 

[1] From Table “Acute Measles Mortality in the United States, 1987-2002.” The horizontal bar representing mortality requires interpretation in that the measurement is in the tens. Thus the bar is somewhat above 60. Could be 63. Whether 62 or 63 this bar represents the Hinman, et al. “Capture-recapture estimate” explained in the article.

[2] National Immunization Program, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[3] From Table “Acute Measles Mortality in the United States, 1987-2002.”

[4] “Nationwide, there have been 42 deaths among 14,714 reported measles cases this year, according to the Associated Press.”

[5] National Center for Health Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[6] From Table “Acute Measles Mortality in the United States, 1987-2002.”

[7] Associated Press, Los Angeles. “Measles reaches epidemic level.” Ukiah Daily Journal, 4-1-1990, A10.

[8] Notes there were no deaths from measles in California from 1982 to 1987, and then 2 in 1988.

[9] “Although the number of reported measles cases is on the rise in several cities across the country, the Chicago area so far is not heading for a repeat of the 1989 measles epidemic that claimed 12 lives, state officials said Monday.”

[10] ABC 7, Chicago, Eyewitness News (Ben Bradley). “Measles Outbreak: 1989/1990 Outbreak, Today Compared.” 2-9-2015.

[11] Bentsen noted this was for one city.

[12] Wes Hodgson, Texas Department of Health epidemiology coordinator for the health immunization division.

— 10  NFPA. The U.S. Fire Problem. Home Fires with Ten or More Fatalities (1980-2007). 2008

— 10  National Fire Sprinkler Association.  F.Y.I.  1999, 6.

— 10  USFA. Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, MN.  1999.

 

Narrative Information

 

“Only two hours into the New Year, 1989, the small r u r a l town of Remer, Minnesota, located approximately 85 miles west of Duluth, Minnesota experienced the most devastating single-family house fire in the State’s history.

 

“Ten people perished, apparently as they slept, when a fire rapidly spread through an old two-story schoolhouse that had been moved onto the site and converted for use as a residential occupancy. Eight children from three families and the parents of two of the children died in the fire.  The surviving parents of four of the children had left the house at about 2300 hours that evening, New Year’s Eve, to celebrate a birthday at a local Pub. They came home at about 0230 to discover the house ablaze and firefighters on the scene.

 

“Specific cause of the fire was undetermined. Strong consideration was given to faulty electrical, over-fused circuits and human factors after extensive investigation and statements made by the victims prior to the fire and in statements written in a journal by Kimberly Smischney, one of the children killed in the fire. There were no smoke detectors present in the home when the fire occurred.”  (USFA. Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, MN.  1999)

 

“The fire was discovered early New Year’s morning by a passerby. Much of the home had already been destroyed by the time the Fire Department had arrived.”

 

State Fire Marshal Investigators reported an insurance agent from Remer went to the home about four months prior to the fire to consider insuring it for a mortgage application on the property. The insurance agent told investigators, “There was absolutely no reason for anyone to live like that.” He also stated that he told the owners that if there were ever a fire the place would be gone. The general appearance and lack of upkeep turned him away without even considering writing the insurance requested. There had been no insurance for the past four years and no value was ever considered.”  (USFA. Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, MN.  1999.)

Sources

 

National Fire Protection Association. Home Fires With Ten or More Fatalities. Accessed 3-20-2016 at: http://www.nfpa.org/research/reports-and-statistics/fires-in-the-us/multiple-death-fires/homes-fires-with-ten-or-more-fatalities

 

National Fire Sprinkler Association, Inc. F.Y.I. – Fire Sprinkler Facts. Patterson, NY: NFSA, November 1999, 8 pages. Accessed at: http://www.firemarshals.org/data/File/docs/College%20Dorm/Administrators/F1%20-%20FIRE%20SPRINKLER%20FACTS.pdf   [Not operable when checked on 6-16-2016.]

 

 

United States Fire Administration. Eight Children and Two Adults Die in Rural House Fire, Remer, Minnesota (January 1, 1989). Emmitsburg, MD:  National Fire Data Center, USFA, FEMA, 1999, 29 pages. Accessed 6-16-2016 at: http://www.interfire.org/res_file/pdf/Tr-028.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

–88  CDC Wonder. Compressed Mortality, 1979-1998 Results, Meningococcal Meningitis. 1989.

 

1989 death rate was 0.04 per 100K. US population base: 247,158,528

 

–20  CA          0.07 death rate

–13  NY          0.07 death rate

 

Narrative Information

 

Meningococcal Meningitis (ICD-9 Code 036.0)[1]: “Meningococcal disease can refer to any illness caused by the type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis, also known as meningococcus… These illnesses are often severe and can be deadly. They include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or septicemia). These bacteria spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions like spit (e.g., by living in close quarters, kissing). Doctors treat meningococcal disease with antibiotics, but quick medical attention is extremely important. Keeping up to date with recommended vaccines is the best defense against meningococcal disease.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meningococcal Disease. 4-9-2018 update.)

 

Sources

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1979-1998 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2003. ICD-9 code 036.0, Meningococcal Meningitis, 1989. Accessed 6-10-2019 at: https://wonder.cdc.gov/

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meningococcal Disease. 4-9-2018 update. Accessed 10-3-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/index.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] ICD-9 is the 9^th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, a medical classification list by the World Health Organization. 036.0 is the code for meningococcal meningitis.