San Bruno Mountain, CA Cargo Plane Crash, Dec 1964

CARGO PLANE CRASH IN FOG KILLS THREE.

San Bruno, San Mateo Co. -- (AP) -- A Flying Tiger four engine Super Constellation cargo plane slammed into fog shrouded San Bruno Mountain on takeoff today, killing the three crew members aboard and narrowly missing a coast guard radio station.
An airline spokesman said the 70 ton plane appeared to be in its proper takeoff path when it crashed and broke into bits, scattered over a half mile area.
The airline said the victims were:
Captain J. A. RICHARDS, 49, Bay Head, N.J., the pilot.
DANIEL W. HENNESSY, 33, Hillsborough, San Mateo County, co-pilot.
PAUL M. ENTZ, 37, North Hollywood.
The federal aviation agency said the New York bound transport took off from the San Francisco International Airport at 12:29 A.M.
The plane crashed at the 1,000 foot level -- 100 feet higher and the plane would have cleared the mountain -- on Sweeney Ridge, about 10 miles south of San Francisco.
Coast guard Radioman Fred Goodwin said the plane passed within a few feet of a concrete transmitting building where six men were on duty, and crashed with an impact that shook the structure.
"There was just about a pea soup fog up here," a coast guardsman said. "The wind must have been blowing 60 miles an hour."
The weather bureau said visibility at takeoff was three miles with light rain and fog, scattered clouds at 400 feet and overcast at 1,000 feet.

Modesto Bee and News Herald California 1964-12-24
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!