Enterprise reporter James M. Odato did a great job on a tough assignment with the story jumping to pages 4 and 8, accompanied by 10 photos by Odato and Charles Decker.

Here is a brief, boxed synopsis carried on page 4 with the photos:

“A 125-day saga drew to a close Sunday when New York State Police and Conservation officials removed three bodies and a dead dog from among the wreckage of an airplane missing since Christmas night, 1978. The plane was spotted on a 3,420-foot shoulder of Nye Mountain, approximately one mile west of Nye Mountain summit.

“Below, right, State Police Senior Investigator Douglass Muldoon walks away from the chopper carrying two bags which may have contained the money and drugs found on the plane.” [Photo messed up — nothing wrong with Doug’s nose.]

Lisa Teifer, whose brother and boyfriend died in a December 1987 plane crash, watches as authorities remove a body sack from a DEC helicopter. (Enterprise photo — Charles Decker)

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Excerpts from the page 1 story

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“LAKE PLACID — The bodies of all three passengers and their dog, $12,000 and a small amount of drugs were found here Sunday among the wreckage of the Piper Navajo missing since Christmas night.

“The 11-seat plane was discovered about 5:50 p.m. Saturday near the top of the west shoulder of Nye Mountain at about 3,100 feet elevation. The site is 6 miles southwest of the village of Lake Placid and more than 15 miles southeast of the Adirondack Airport, where the plane was scheduled to land.

Authorities remove a body sack from a DEC helicopter. (Enterprise photo — James M. Odato)

“By chance, three airmen with the Civil Air Patrol sighted the white craft on the snow-spotted ridge as they were completing the final air search of the first day of a two-day training mission. Lt. Col. John Buddi first spotted the downed plane.

“Federal Aviation Administration investigators are expected to search the wreckage today to gather information needed to determine the reason for the crash.

“Two men and the dog were apparently thrown some 25 feet from the wreckage and lay near each other. The bodies were somewhat frozen into the ground.

“The third body had remained in the plane which had apparently smacked into the thickly-wooded mountainside at high speed. The plane was found some 300 feet from the top of the Nye Mountain shoulder.

“Captain Fred H. Teeple, investigation commander for the BCI said they apparently were killed on impact. He said there was about a quarter pound of high-grade marijuana and a small amount of cocaine found on the plane.

“The deceased are presumed to be Chris Ray, 26, of Key West, Florida, owner of the plane; Richard Pierce, the pilot, 32, of Key West and Kipling Teifer, 26 of Grosse Isle, Michigan. ‘Crip’, a mixed Great Dane and Blue Tick Hound, was one of a pair of dogs aboard the plane. The other, ‘Aqui’, a mongrel, survived the crash and was found about three miles from the site on Bear Cub Road on January 4.

“Lisa Teifer, sister of Kipling Teifer who says she was engaged to Chris Ray, waited at the periphery of the landing area as the bodies were carried from the helicopter. The helicopters shuttled to the crash site three times.

“Miss Teifer had moved to Lake Placid after the plane went missing in the hopes of finding her missing brother and friends. She appeared to be calm and somber when the first body was removed from the helicopter and laid on the grassy field as tears fell from her blue eyes.

“She then moved to go to the body which was in a sterile green bag, but after a talk with ENCON Search Coordinator Harold Martin, sat down. After a few minutes, she lay down again in the sun which had appeared after a dismal, overcast and cool morning.

“Miss Teifer said that the three deceased men had flown from Florida to Detroit and were coming to Lake Placid for a few days of skiing during the Christmas holiday.”

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Recovery of the bodies

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“In a cooperative effort, state police and conservation department employees raised the bodies by boom into a helicopter hovering at tree level.

“Six rangers and two state police officers were lowered by a penetrator to the crash site which is within an area of thick balsam and white spruce. The men were Gary Hodgson, Doug Bissonette, Dave Ames, Joe Rupp, Sr. Investigator Douglass Muldoon and Trooper Bruce Nichols.

“The rangers used power saws to clear a path about a quarter-mile through the rugged timber and heavy blow-down area. They brought items from the plane and the bagged bodies to the site for a safer hoisting to the helicopters. The state police helicopter was operated by Chuck Wolff and the ENCON helicopter was piloted by Amsden ‘Ace’ Howland.”

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Harrietstown sued over crash

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“The Town of Harrietstown and the Adirondack Airport District [at that time the airport was managed by members of a board comprised of officials of all the surrounding towns] may be sued as a result of the crash. Notice of intent to sue for a total of $30 million has been filed against the two parties. The firm of F. Lee Bailey [then the most high-profile lawyer in the country] & Aaron J. Broder, attorneys for the Teifer family issued the notices in early March.

“The New York attorneys, who specialize in suits stemming from airplane crashes, charge the Adirondack Airport was not operational because the runway lights were covered with snow.”

Jack Finegan was the airport manager in 1979, and according to the Enterprise, which had obtained the full report of the National Transportation Board about the crash, Finegan had this to say: “Allegheny Commuter did not operate any flights at all Christmas Day due to the weather.

The Enterprise editorial in that April 30, 1979, issue also had this to say:

“It is obvious [from reading the full report] that the pilot, Richard Pierce of 10471 SW 78th St., Miami, Florida, had been warned all along about the deteriorating weather in the Adirondacks. Before today these facts have never been made public.”

Jack Finegan said the case never got to court.