Sunday, September 16, 2007
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
Today as I was hauling "fuel" I was thinking about "Otters I know" with "high time". Yes, there are Otters with "25,000 hrs. plus". The Otter I fly, C-FUKN, S/N 456, "born" in 1966, is pushing 16,000 hrs.. "Mid-life", I figure. Then I thought about Otters that had "expired" in "infancy". A tragic happening, usually. Here is one that left "way before her time", along with some "fine men that were serving their country".
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
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Otter 304
Otter 304 was delivered to the United States Army on 10th December 1958 with serial 58-1693 (tail number 81693). It was assigned to the 17th Aviation Company, Fort Ord, California. It was delivered from Downsview to the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California before continuing on to Fort Ord and entering service with the 17th Aviation Company.
On Friday 30th September 1960, the Otter was flying from Fort Ord to Crissy AAF, San Francisco. On board were Major General Carl F. Fritzsche, the Commanding Officer of Fort Ord, his deputy Brigadier General Thomas Hayes, an aide, the two pilots and a crew chief. The two generals had official business at Sixth Army Headquarters at the Presidio of San Francisco, after which they were to attend the Army-California football game the next day.
At 3.20pm the Otter was flying over the town of Orinda, some eight miles from Oakland, apparently lost in the heavy fog which blanketed the region. It struck a water tank on 1,300 foot high Grizzly Peak in the hills overlooking Orinda Valley, then slammed into a field belonging to the East Bay Municipal Utilities District, where it exploded before skidding up a slope. The resulting fire burned twenty acres of grassy field on the edge of an exclusive residential district of ranch-type homes, before it was brought under control by firemen. Sadly, all on board perished in the crash and the Otter was completely destroyed.
Interestingly, the cockpit door, which survived the impact, bore a major general's two stars, and the aircraft was described in newspaper reports of the accident as a “plush version of the Otter”, indicating that this U-1A was in use as a VIP transport. The Army Airfield at Fort Ord was subsequently named Fritzsche AAF in the General's honour.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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"Damn", tragic "end" for all!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 304
Otter 304 was delivered to the United States Army on 10th December 1958 with serial 58-1693 (tail number 81693). It was assigned to the 17th Aviation Company, Fort Ord, California. It was delivered from Downsview to the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California before continuing on to Fort Ord and entering service with the 17th Aviation Company.
On Friday 30th September 1960, the Otter was flying from Fort Ord to Crissy AAF, San Francisco. On board were Major General Carl F. Fritzsche, the Commanding Officer of Fort Ord, his deputy Brigadier General Thomas Hayes, an aide, the two pilots and a crew chief. The two generals had official business at Sixth Army Headquarters at the Presidio of San Francisco, after which they were to attend the Army-California football game the next day.
At 3.20pm the Otter was flying over the town of Orinda, some eight miles from Oakland, apparently lost in the heavy fog which blanketed the region. It struck a water tank on 1,300 foot high Grizzly Peak in the hills overlooking Orinda Valley, then slammed into a field belonging to the East Bay Municipal Utilities District, where it exploded before skidding up a slope. The resulting fire burned twenty acres of grassy field on the edge of an exclusive residential district of ranch-type homes, before it was brought under control by firemen. Sadly, all on board perished in the crash and the Otter was completely destroyed.
Interestingly, the cockpit door, which survived the impact, bore a major general's two stars, and the aircraft was described in newspaper reports of the accident as a “plush version of the Otter”, indicating that this U-1A was in use as a VIP transport. The Army Airfield at Fort Ord was subsequently named Fritzsche AAF in the General's honour.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Damn", tragic "end" for all!
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Comments:
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U-1A 81693 I was assigned to the 17th Aviation Company, Fort Ord, and California. Part of 1960 and 1961. I wish that I could remember the crew chief that went down on the aircraft. Just about all of the 17 Avn Co. were bussed to his hometown for the funeral. I believe it was in San Mateo. If you are interested I have a few photos of the flight line of the 17 taken at that time.
# posted by 
: 9:12 PM
: 9:12 PM
Thanks for the comment. I would love to have any info and photos you have of the 17 Avn Co. flight line, the history of these machines and the crews "intrigues the hell" out of me!
Cheers,
Steve
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Cheers,
Steve
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