Evening star., 1938-11-29

The civil aeronautics authority
here said today 1t had received
information that Co-pilot Lloyd
Jones OF Seattle, was killed when
a transport plane alighted In the
sea near Point Reyes and was
wrecked on the rocky beach.
BY the Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29.-A
luxury airliner was smashed to
pieces on rocky ocean beach near
here today after it had fought an
84-mile- hour wind enroute from
Seattle to Oakland, and finally was
forced down on the rough sea when
its fuel tanks ran dry.
Coast Guard headquarters here
reported Pilot Charles Stead and
Isadore r. Edelstein, Los Angeles,
passenger, were rescued and that
three other passengers and two
crew members were missing.
Huge waves smashed the United
Airlines 14-passenger "sky lounge"
against the rocky shore at the foot
of a precipice.
The Coast Guard report said the
pilot and Edelstein were taken up
a steep cliff by ropes. and that
Stead passed out" from injuries.
A report from o. c. Richerson,
assistant superintendent of the
United Air Lines Western division
here, varied from this report. Rich
erson said he was informed Stead
was o. K. and walking around the
beach, but Edelstein was badly
hurt"
Mai. Stead of Seattle radioed
about 2:30 am. that he was IN
trouble, but still knew where he was
because the radio beam was func-
tioning to guide him to Oakland.
Landed wheels Up
He said, however, he had only 20
gallons of gasoline left, enough for
five minutes flight, and would
alight on the ocean with wheels
up," or in retracted position to in
sure as much safety as possible.
Passengers aboard the twin-en-
gined plane were:
H. L. Shonts, San Jose, Calf.
j. B. Hefelbower, San Francisco.
Philip Hart. Portland. Oreg,
Isadore r. Edelstein, f,tss Angeles.
The co-pilot was Lloyd Jones, Sc
attic, and the stewardness was Frona
(Bobbie) Clay OF Alameda, Calf.
H. j. Tsleghaar, Point Reyes
Lighthouse keeper, said the waves
bore the big plane onto the rocky
beach and smashed 1t to pieces.
'It's q total wreck" he declared.
Wedged in Rocks.
The wreckage was wedged among
rocks at the base of a cliff which
lowered nearly TOO feet. Coast
Guardsmen, unable to approach the
spot by boat, rigged lines and start
ed down the cliff
Maj. Stead. a veteran wartime
flyer who at one time was SenSa-
tional transforming aviator, took
off from Seattle at $50 last night.
He reached Portland on schedule,
as well as Medford. Greg, where he
stopped to await clearing weather.
Stead realized his situation when
he cleared Point Reyes, and he mes
saged his Oakland base:
I'VE pulled flare, and the shore
is too rough. Give us the wind"
At5:10 am. Oakland told Stead:
1--WE trying to contact boats you
saw and ask them to follow you"
Gasoline Runs Low.
Stead messaged his gasoline sup
ply was perilously low.
Boys, I haven't enough gas to
make old Crissy Field" his next mes
sage said. He referred to the field
at San Francisco, inside the Golden
Gate.
Maj. Stead, born at Griggsville,
ILL.,, was a letter man in the mile
and two-mile runs at University of
Illinois before enlisting in the Army.
He made his first solo flight in 1918
at Foggia, Italy.
Jones, about 80, has wife and
2-year-old daughter at Seattle.
Miss Clay was born at Garrison,
Utah, but she and her parents moved
to The Dalles, Oreg., in her early
childhood. She Joined the United
Air Lines three years ago.