Hamilton AF Base, CA Transport Plane Crashes, May 1970

CAPTAIN SURVIVES AF CRASH; 13 DIE.

Hamilton Air Force Base (AP) -- Capt. GEORGE BURKE, 28, sole survivor of a military plane crash in which 13 persons died, was under intensive care for burns today at Fort Sam Houston Hospital, San Antonio, Tex.
Twelve Air Force men and an Army specialist died when the twin-engine transport crashed Monday into a fog-covered hillside shortly after taking off from here.
Air base officials said there was no warnings from the pilot that the craft, bound for Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane, Wash., was in trouble.
When the plane disappeared from the radar screen, it passed between two hills, skidded along a meadow, for 100 yards and crashed into a cluster of trees.
Nearly an hour later, JOHN DAVIEAU, a ranch foreman, found the smoking plane while on a cattle check.
Wreckage was scattered. "It was a grisly sight," said a witness.
The dead were identified as:
Maj. ROBERT L. ROBINSON, JR., pilot, Alameda Air Force Station, Santa Clara County.
Col. ELDRIDGE G. SHELTON, JR., co-pilot, 50, Hamilton AFB.
ROBERT G. WARD, 36, Hamilton AFB.
Capt. RALPH C. KNOWLES, 26, San Francisco.
HARVEY C. HEICHEL, 42, Hamilton AFB.
KENNETH L. YARGER, 41, Hamilton AFB.
FRED L. ADAMS, 49, Hamilton AFB.
ALBERT J. McCLOUD, 38, Novato.
ENRIQUE R. FERRER, JR., 43, Hamilton AFB.
ROBERT P. PRINCE, 31, Hamilton AFB.
Army Spec. 4 DAVID J. COOPER, Spokane.
JULIUS RYLUND, 39, Travis AFB and
FRANKLIN D. HARROD, 36, San Jose.

Press-Telegram Long Beach California 1970-05-05
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!