plane on Sherman story - need more info

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tortoise in TX
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plane on Sherman story - need more info

Post by tortoise in TX »

tried to research this and looking for more information because this is such a unique story...

what I found: in the 60's ('67 I think I read) a plane landed on Sherman during a snow storm. Could not find anything other than that factoid. Questions I have:

1. landed or crash-landed?
2. if crash landed, how was plane removed? people injured? have to assume during the day....
3. if landed (not crashed), do we assume the plane took off? If so, can you imagine what that was like? I guess you get as much speed as possible, aim into the wind and hope you can find a steep enough drop to maneuver - took real skill and guts or someone just plain stupid. I think Forest Gump was around during that time, right? Nah, probably not him.
4. if the plane took off, did the plane stay there until the snow melted? Pretty hard to take off on a mtn top covered in snow....if this was the case, I am sure the owner had to tie down the plane to keep it from literally blowing over and off the summit.

If anyone has any info, pls share. We climbed 4 peaks this summer and heard the story, so I had to check it out. This is a great story.
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Phill the Thrill
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Re: plane on Sherman story - need more info

Post by Phill the Thrill »

Check this link:

http://www.rockymountainrescue.org/abou ... nter07.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"During the 1960s RMRG (Rocky Mountain Rescue Group) participated in eleven missions involving plane crashes. One of the most memorable occurred on the summit of Mt. Sherman in January of 1967. Five people were in the plane — all survived the initial crash but were not out of danger. Chuck Demarest, a 30-year member of the group, recalls that the winter conditions were extremely harsh: 70 mph winds and temperatures below –20 °F. Rescuers battled their way up to an elevation of 14,036 feet through these difficult conditions. During a brief break in the weather, they succeeded in evacuating the victims to an area that was safe enough to land a helicopter. This now classic mission was featured in the February 1993 issue of Readers Digest."
"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it." - Andy Rooney
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14erFred
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Re: plane on Sherman story - need more info

Post by 14erFred »

From W.R. Borneman and L.J. Lampert. (1998). A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners (3rd ed.). Boulder, CO: Pruett Publishing, p. 55:

"Mount Sherman's broad summit plateau provided an unexpected landing field for a Cessna 310, which was forced down by severe down-drafts in a violent storm in January of 1967. Pilot Jimmy Williamson of Denver, flying a Clinton Air charter en route to Aspen, brought the aircraft to rest in deep snow with only minor injuries to his four passengers. Bitter Colorado weather thwarted rescue efforts for twenty hours until a helicopter by Bob Green of Broomfield plucked the group from the peak."
"Live as on a mountain." -- Marcus Aurelius
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somethingrandom
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Re: plane on Sherman story - need more info

Post by somethingrandom »

Not to get too cocky here as I know little of the story, I can say that 1, it was a 'crash' of a Cessna 310 if that was the aircraft involved, not a landing. I have roughly 1000 hours of flight time and am an air traffic controller and can tell you that a Cessna 310 would need a completely flat surface (not Sherman) of at least a half mile for a safe takeoff/landing. Something smaller like a Cessna 152 (wouldnt make it that high without a rocket booster strapped to it) would still need something of a smooth landing surface without suffering SEVERE structural damage.

It would have been a freak act of God for a C310 to be put down there. If it were, perhaps between Sherman and Gemini would be a possibility, but the 'Summit of Mt Sherman", not possible.

Lindbergh, Ehrheart, Yager, Haynes no one could 'land' any 'airplane' on any of the 14ers without a hull loss of the A/C. Helicopter, if he had the stones and power, possible. Legal? Meh.....
-Just as soon as you idiot proof something, some a**hole is just going to come along and make a better idiot.

-To Cessna: "November one, zero, four Lima Papa, wind 080 at 90 peak gusts 120, runway 35 cleared for takeoff"

To fellow controller: "Watch this sh!t"

-Whether climbing or flying, the single greatest thing to remember is that every ascent is optional, and if you feel like making another, your subsequent descent is mandatory.
tortoise in TX
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Re: plane on Sherman story - need more info

Post by tortoise in TX »

wahooo.....keep the replies coming. thanks! great story
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