For the last several years I have been the 
owner of an antique Beech 18 airplane, 
the Beech 18 is a small all metal, two engine 
airplane, it has 5 seats in the cabin, 
in addition to it's two pilot seats. 

My airplane was manufactured in October 1959, 
however the production run of the Beech 18 
started in 1937, and lasted until 1969, a 
total of 8,980 were manufactured. 

The Beech 18 is one of the most important 
airplanes ever, it's full story has been told 
by Robert K. Parmerter in his book,
Beech 18 - A Civil & Military History 

This book is a 567 page masterpiece, that 
includes about 730 photos.

 



Ras at ONA´s New York

 October 25, 2003 reunion






Nettie Miller, Pamela Greene

 McClune and Ras 





Ras, Britt Herland-Silverthorn

and Pat Kineen-Van Dekamp

San Mateo Times March 23, 1951
Front Page

Woman, 3 Men In Plane Fall Into S.F. Bay

A woman and three men were rescued 
from the waters of San Francisco bay 
this afternoon by the coast guard, 
after a twin-engined Beechcraft 
plane in which they were flying 
plunged into the water between 
Coyote Point and the San Mateo 
bridge.



The operators of the plane, which bore 
the number NC80184 were not identified 
up to a late hour this afternoon.

According to Edward Watson, manager of 
the San Mateo airport, he saw the plane 
circle for about 15 minutes attempting to 
land at Oakland airport and then Mills 
field. Finally, he said, it straightened 
out as if to start its approach to Mills 
field and then suddenly plunged into 
the water.

San Carlos airport, San Mateo community

A coast guard helicopter was dispatched by 
the Mills field tower and was able to pick 
up the woman passenger and take her to Mills 
field where she was given treatment for
exposure and shock.  

A coast guard crash boat sent from Mills
field picked up the three men and were 
returning them to the coast guard base.
The Oakland airport control tower told 
the plane which reported it was running out 
of gas to make a try at an emergency runway, 
but instead it made a pass and then circled 
out into the bay and by radio said it would 
try to land at Mills field.

Names of those picked up from the water were: 
Van Buren Nixon, Douglas Larsen, Ivan 
Landfather and Miss Betty McGuire, all 
employees of the Overseas National Airways, 
Oakland airport. 

Home addresses and ages of the four rescued 
persons were not yet known, according to the 
officials of the coast guard station.



Roy Sloan, harbormaster at the Coyote Point 
yacht harbor, said he saw the plane in the 
water but thought at first it was a boat. 

When he realized a plane was down, he said, 
he notified the coast guard. The plane remained 
afloat at least 10 minutes, Sloan said, before 
it sank under the water. 

Pilot Praised In Bay Crash
San Mateo Times March 24, 1951

A woman and two men today praised their 
luck they happened to be flying with an 
experienced pilot, and that the United 
States coast guard were Johnny on the 
spot yesterday afternoon when their 
twin-engine Beechcraft dropped the 
starboard engine over San Francisco bay, 
forcing them to make a watery landing 
off Coyote Point.

The four aboard the plane, all employees 
of the Overseas Airlines, were:
Douglas P. Larsen, 38, pilot, and 
vice-president of the airline, in charge 
of operations, of 833 Ano Avenue, San 
Lorenzo. 

Van Buren Nixon, 33, 6821 Habsam way, 
Oakland.

Ivan L. Landfather, 34, 17355 Los Banos 
avenue, Hayward.

Mrs. Betty O’Neill, 33, 17583 Reamer 
road, Castro Valley, secretary to Larsen.

The plane in which the four were flying
made the landing in the bay north of San 
Mateo bridge, while on a radio check 
flight from Oakland airport.