I took this picture the day the plane was found. A. C. (Ace) Howland, pilot of the state Department of Environmental Conservation helicopter directed me to the co-pilot’s seat, “so you can open the window and take pictures without any obstruction.” Needless to say, with the chopper hovering, swirling the snow, and whipping the tree branches it is a wonder I got any pictures…but this is one of what turned out to be a Howard Riley picture page.

It was all hands on deck that snowy day 49 years ago when word came that a plane had crashed at Adirondack Regional Airport in Lake Clear.

The following bulletin was added just before press time above the lead story when the third body was found.

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“The third body, that of co-pilot, Warren Merchant, 44, was found early this afternoon. The others found this morning were Robert Jones, 32, pilot and Donna Fannin, 33, hostess.

“A spokesman for the company which owned the plane said it had left Hollywood-Burbank Airport in Burbank on Wednesday and was scheduled to pick up passengers at Saranac Lake. It has not been determined who those passengers are.”

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The following excerpts from the first reports on Wednesday will set up stories carried the next day when the entire front page was about the plane crash.

After we learned the identity of the passengers to be picked up, it added a national news story to this big local story … more on that next week.

“Two bodies were found at 9 a.m. today in the wreckage of a Lockheed Jet Star traveling from Grand Isle, Michigan which crashed on Johnson Hill, north of the Adirondack Airport last evening. It is believed that a third person was aboard.

“The plane evidently became lost and was trying to land at the airport on instructions from the Massena Airport. Local residents in the Lake Clear area report both hearing and seeing the plane at about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“The plane was owned by the Fluor Air Corp., of Burbank, California, an engineering and construction corporation.

“According to a company spokesman reached in Burbank today by The Daily Enterprise, the plane had only three crew members aboard — pilot, co-pilot and stewardess.

“There was no word at press time why the plane was coming to Saranac Lake.

“Johnson Hill is north of the airport (in back of the terminal building.) The plane struck the east side of the mountain and traveled up hill and down the west side for about 300 yards, cutting a 40-foot swath through the woods.

“It was discovered by two Environmental Conservation Department employees aboard a department helicopter. The pilot was A. C. (Ace) Howland, co-pilot William E. Krom.

“Airport Manager, Jack Finegan, flew over the wreckage with the Conservation Department men and said the plane appears to have burned.

“Two DEC Rangers, Frank Dorchak of Lake Clear and Gary Hodgson of Lake Placid, were dropped from the helicopter to the scene of the accident where they discovered the two bodies.

“A metal-cutting power saw, borrowed from the Saranac Lake Fire Department was taken to the airport by Ranger Douglass Bissonnette of Lake Placid and Fireman Ernie Arnett. It was then dropped to Dorchak and Hodgson to cut through the wreckage in the search for the third body.

“Ranger Harold Martin of Paul Smiths ‘boss of the search’ was coordinating with the state police operation headed by Lt. R. L. Tillman. Assistant District Ranger Bob Nason was at the airport as well.

“Soon after the plane was discovered, George Fountain, a former logger, now caretaker of Meacham Lake Campsite, and Ranger John Dalton started clearing a road on land owned by Paul Smith’s College to the site of the wreckage. Volunteers and ten rangers with snowmobiles attempted to reach the plane, but it was feared that they would not be able to get to the top of the mountain. They approached from Route 30 near the St. Regis landing road.

“Roland Patnode of Saranac Lake had charge of radio communications.

“Finegan said that the plane had never been in direct contact with the local airport. He had been contacted at his home last night, and not being sure of conditions, Finegan had suggested contacting the Massena Airport for instructions.

“He theorizes that the pilot was looking out of his window toward the airport and that at that angle, the wing of the plane had obstructed the view of the runway lights.

“State police said that the pilot had established radio contact with the facility at Massena. The last Massena heard was that the plane was approaching the airport. A check of all airports within 75 miles failed to turn up a trace of the plane.

“The Conservation Department was notified of last night’s crash at 1 a.m. today, according to William Sussdorf. The search was started was started at 7 a.m., the helicopter was sent aloft at 9 a.m. and the wreckage was sighted at 9:20.

“It was planned to carry the bodies out by foot on litters unless the snowmobiles could reach them.”

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Second plane crash

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“Search planes were already on hand at the airport because the Civil Air Patrol had been searching for another private plane which was lost in the area last Tuesday. Lost in that plane are two Pennsylvania businessmen. There has been no word of the fate of these two men, whose relatives have been standing by at the airport through the Christmas holidays.”

The second plane crash story does not give a date, only, “since last Tuesday.” So it seems since the family had been waiting “through the Christmas holidays” that the plane disappeared on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

I do not have access to that story but with little research it appears that the two missing men were David Aiken, the passenger, and pilot Charles Anstey.

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Part two of this column will be published next week.