Featuring great pilots of Overseas National Airways |
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Editor Captain Ras Nielsen A STORY FROM DEEP IN THE DARK 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.  All 4 aboard were rescued. On page 214 of this book I found the above picture, take a look at the caption below the picture. We are all seniors by now, but if any of you senior seniors recall anything that relates to the story about this airplane, then please let us all know. Robert Parmerter was good enough to provide the following additional information: 
ONA used this aircraft for flight training and crew positioning. Aircraft was destroyed March 23, 1951 when it sank after an emergency landing in San Francisco Bay, CA, after the starboard (Right hand) engine shook loose and fell off into the bay. The 4 ONA employees aboard were rescued by a USCG helicopter and a USCG JRF. |
San Mateo Times March 23, 1951
Front Page
Woman, 3 Men In Plane Fall Into S.F. BayQuartet Pulled AliveFrom Water Near S.M. Bridge 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. |
Coyote Point yacht harbor
Pilot Praised In Bay Crash
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.
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 Oakland airport Quick action on the part of the coast guard guardsmen at Mills field, after receiving simultaneous phone calls of the landing from William G. Rothrock, general manager of San Mateo bridge, and Roy Sloane, harbor master at Coyote Point, was credited with saving the quartet. A helicopter flown by Lt. (j.g.) Thomas W. Hynes, 1450 Lincoln, Burlingame, and a JRF amphibious plane flown by CPO Glenn Kellogg Jr. of Millbrae, arrived at the scene within minutes after the messages were received, and found the four swimming. Changing planes at the scene the helicopter pilot Hynes flew the Grumman Duck, and Kellogg the rotor-winged ship. The woman passenger, Mrs. O’Neill was returned in the helicopter, while the other three men were returned in the JRF. All four were treated for exposure and shock at the coast guard base. They were later interviewed by Deputy Sheriff Paul Jensen on circumstances of the crash-landing. Nixon lauded Larsen’s skill in landing. The craft sank a few minutes after the quartet had swam clear.  Grumman JRF-2/3/5 G "Goose" |
ONA photo archives supplied by Maggie Zeibak
 Left to right Al Wintermyer, Frank Schooley and Ras Nielsen - and who are the girls? |
 Al Wintermyer and Ras Nielsen |
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 |