1977 Airplane Crash in Yosemite

Three of the original C4 guys that used their "funds" from the cargo ended up in the White House receiving Presidential Citations for their rescue work. Two became world class photographers, two became prolific novelists as well as having a major motion picture produced using this incident as the premise for the story. Many used their funds to further their climbing career using the latest equipment. Some even used their funds to design, develop, and market equipment that are used today in rock climbing. There are places to stay, places to eat, and places to have fun, all funded by the "harvest" of this plane crash.

by Ricknie » Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:23 am
Well its now been almost 2 1/2 years since I started my research on this subject. I honestly thought in April of 2005 that I 'd have the book finished and published for that up coming Christmas. As it turned out I am contacted at least three or four times each week with either more information, new information, or contradicting information.

An interesting example about the four guys that found the plane. Well the first four names that I received were never there. And, all four are still living, live and large as we speak. I've interviewed two of them within the past handful of months.

The plane was never what the Feds thought it was. Many would think that wouldn't matter, but in fact the plane was a highly modified WW II submarine hunter/killer. Its capabilities far out stretched a Lockheed Lodestar both in size and in performance.

I've managed to find the #2 guy in the drug group. He consented to a audio taped interview which lasted about four hours. He was responsible for staging the dope, acting as load master, and paying the pilot(s) (there were more than a dozen planes used). So he knew exactly how much dope was on board the plane when it crashed.

Right now I'm about 90% complete with my research. I'm still waiting for some paper work on the WW II history of the plane. I'm also going up to the lake and take some shots of the area as well as the trail where Jack Dorn fell from.

So stay tuned.....and if you have any thoughts, drop me an email.

20,000 Cm Under The Lake.

The plane was never what the Feds thought it was. Many would think that wouldn't matter, but in fact the plane was a highly modified WW II submarine hunter/killer. Its capabilities far out stretched a Lockheed Lodestar both in size and in performance.

... do you have any projections on when your book might be out?

What "book"? Licky is The Man, not an author, trying to prosicute any left-over scraps he can gleen from you idiots.

Huh? The Howard 500 prototype first flew in 1959 and was designed as an executive ride from the get-go. The only commonality it shared with the
Lockheed Lodestar were outer wing panels and undercarriage.