Mt. Mars, CA Coast Guard Plane Crash, Aug 1967

COAST GUARD PLANE CRASH KILLS 2 NEAR MOUNTAIN.

San Luis Obispo (AP) -- A Coast Guard airplane, returning from a successful search mission over the Pacific Ocean, crashed near Mt. Mars in Monterey County Monday killing two airmen.
Six other airmen were injured and flames from the crash ignited a 100-acre brush and timber fire, about 70 miles north of San Luis Obispo.
The Grumman Albatross aircraft, an amphibiana, was returning from finding the cabin cruiser Misty which had run out of fuel off Piedro Blanco.
Rangers at Los Padres National Forest sent a force of about 200 firefighters against the blaze.
Based at San Francisco, the airplane radioed to the cutter Cape Porpoise the yacht's location and then headed back. The cutter stood by the yacht which the Coast Guard said was owned by Reed McClellen of Canoga Park.
After the crash, the pilot walked through rough country to State Highway 1 which flanks the ocean. A passing motorist took him to a telephone.
Injured Coast Guardsmen were taken to hospitals at the Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation, in King City and in San Luis Obispo.
The Coast Guard identified one of the dead as Lt. (j.g.) FRANCIS JOSEPH CHARLES, Babylon, N.Y.
Names of the other casualties were withheld pending notification of relatives.

Daily Review Hayward California 1967-08-08

Other Casualties:
AD3 WILLIAM G. PROWITT.
AD3 JOHN G. MEDEK.
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!