Tofte, MN Private Plane Crash, Aug 1957

WRECKAGE OF PLANE CARRYING FOUR FOUND.

Tofte, Minn. (AP) -- Wreckage of a light plane carrying four persons, two of them small boys, on a fishing trip was sighted in heavy brush near the Tofte airport today. The sheriff reported to the Cook County coroner's office that there were no survivors.
Aboard the plane when it left Crystal Airport near Minneapolis at 6:30 a.m. Sunday were DR. SAMUEL SAMUELSON, 56, Minneapolis, his two sons, PAUL, 8, and GARY, 7, and LAURENCE EIDEM, 53, Minneapolis.
A Civil Air Patrol search was organized this morning. The wreckage was spotted by Capt. Al Nelson and Lt. Bob Kellett, from the Duluth CAP squadron.
The CAP in Minneapolis reported the plane had nosed into the brush at a sharp angle. The bodies were reported all still in the plane. There was no sign of fire.
Deputies headed by Sheriff Albert Malner made their way to the wreckage. The office of Coroner F. C. Hussey at Grand Marais, 15 miles northeast of Tofte, said Malner had telephoned saying there were no survivors.
The Tofte airport is about a half mile inland from the Lake Superior north shore community, and borders the Sawhill Trail. The wreckage was sighted about a 1/4 mile northeast of the airport.
It was the second case of violent death in SAMUELSON'S family. His sister, HEDVIG SAMUELSON, was one of two women victims in the Winnie Ruth Judd trunk slayings. Mrs. Judd is serving a life imprisonment at Phoenix, Ariz., SAMUELSON formerly lived at White Earth, N.D.
A light haze surrounded the Tofte airport Sunday morning. One Tofte resident reported a light plane made two or three passes at the airport about 8:15 a.m. Sunday, but did not land.
The CAP said SAMUELSON had not filed a flight plan. MRS. SAMUELSON said her husband told her he planned to follow U.S. 61 to Tofte. The plane was a single engine Bellanca.

Winona Daily News Minnesota 1957-08-25
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!