Eye On The Bay

• May 14, 2008 9:47 am US/Pacific
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  Bay Area Plane Crashes - 5/17/08 - 5pm

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Bay Area Plane Crashes - 5/17/08 - 5pm

Touching stories from 21 little known plane accidents from 1931 to 1973.

Thanks for watching our installment on Bay Area Plane Crashes.  While this is no doubt a touchy and sensitive subject, our prime goal was to tell the stories from a historical perspective, fact of the matter being, these crashes are part of Bay Area history.  We were amazed to learn there were 21 significant crashes involving commercial and military planes from 1931 to 1973.  At first discovery, I questioned whether or not these were small, private, Cessna-style aircrafts, but quickly learned these were long forgotten crashes of a much larger scale.

The four crash stories we featured were chosen because their stories still live on.   They are still remembered, and honored in a number of poignant ways by family members, as is the case of Julie Clark.  Some are still annually memorialized, as is the case with members of Christopher O'Donnell's "Flight of the Resolution".  What's amazing is that the crashes took place all over the Bay Area map, everywhere from San Ramon to Union City to Novato.

Below, we've provided a list of links, including local Aviation Archaeologist Christopher Freezes site, www.check-six.com/BayAreaList.htm .  Chris has compiled detailed information on a number of Bay Area aviation accidents.

Please also check out our Web Video Extras.  We've included rare, raw video from our CBS5 Film Library, which includes footage from the hijacking of PSA 710 at SFO in July of 1972.

Sincerely,
Brian Hackney

PACIFIC AIRLINES - FLT. 773 (San Ramon, CA)

For more information on Julie Clark, daughter of Ernie Clark, pilot of Pacific Air Flight 773, log onto:  www.americanaerobatics.com

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH PACIFIC AIRLINES - FLT. 304/44 (Kings Mountain)

For more information on the "Flight of the Resolution's" memorial website, log onto:  www.flightoftheresolution.org

Union City Historical Museum
3841 Smith Street
(510) 324-3298

JAPAN AIRLINES – FLT. 2 (San Francisco Bay, near Coyote Point Yacht Harbor)

For more information on Bigge Crane and Rigging, the company that pulled the DC-8 out of San Francisco Bay, log onto:  www.bigge.com

For more information on both local and national aviation disasters, visit:  www.check-six.com/BayAreaList.htm

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)