The nation already was on edge following the U. The news took on a patriotic tint when it became clear that Lombard was returning from a tour to hawk war bonds to support the war effort. What many described that night were sheets of fire several hundred feet that cast the mountain in a red glow. Search-and-rescue teams formed spontaneously and rushed into the pitch-black night, quickly reaching the rugged, snow-topped ledges that jut from the 8,foot mountain, 32 air miles southwest of what is now Nellis Air Force Base.
If they were hoping to find survivors, their hopes were quickly dashed. Lombard, a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, had just wrapped up a war bond drive that took her by train from Los Angeles to Chicago and Indianapolis. If she won, they would fly out on the next available westbound flight; if her mother, who had never flown, or Winkler, who was prone to air sickness, won, they would climb aboard the next train. After winning the coin toss, she found that cancellations had opened three seats on TWA Flight 3, so they arrived at Indianapolis Municipal Airport the morning of Jan.
A contingent of 15 soldiers from the Army Air Corps Ferrying Command, who were returning to the West Coast after delivering aircraft to a new bomber base, also got on board there, bumping all civilian passengers except for the Lombard party and Lois Hamilton, an Army wife. Facing a stiff headwind, Williams received permission from TWA in Burbank to save time by not stopping in Winslow, Arizona, for a scheduled refueling.
Instead Flight 3 was to proceed to Boulder City to refuel before the final minute leg to Burbank. But when the crew realized it would be dark when they arrived in Boulder City, where the airport had no runway lights, the pilot decided to continue another 20 miles to land at what was then called McCarran Field at the north end of the Las Vegas Valley.
Flight plan records show the compass heading and cruise level — a degree compass heading climbing to 8, feet above sea level — were never changed to reflect the new departure point at McCarran Field. So when co-pilot Gillette took over the controls following the p. The collision might have been avoided had a lighted beacon system not been shut off out of concerns that Japanese warplanes could be poised to attack the western U.
Only a single beacon at Arden, east of Potosi, was shining. As soon as they heard the impact, residents of the mining town of Goodsprings, downslope of Double Up Peak and 11 miles southeast of the crash site, organized search parties. One, led by former high school football star Lyle Van Gordon, was first to reach the site, finding wreckage but no survivors.
Another group that included Review-Journal news editor John F. Cahlan and advertising manager James H. Down, saddled up to ride horses to the site with Paiute rancher Tweed Wilson.
By this time, Gable had been notified by telegram that the plane his wife was on was missing and apparently had crashed. They were met at McCarran Field about 1 a. The heads of MGM were very protective of the Gable brand. He was the most popular actor in the world. In addition to doubting the Pioneer Saloon legend, Matzen casts cold water on the storybook romance angle of the Lombard-Gable marriage.
He had started a relationship with Lana Turner, which was the primary reason why Lombard rushed back to Hollywood and died on that mountain. He later flew five combat missions as an observer-gunner in Bs as part of a motion-picture unit with the st Bomb Group in England. On one mission, he just missed being hit by shrapnel and was the recipient of a Distinguished Flying Cross. Contact Keith Rogers at krogers reviewjournal.
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