A 1947 Airplane Crash Was A Devastating Accident For Oregonians

In 1947, three Oregon state officials embarked on a spirited goose hunting expedition to Klamath Falls; but, tragically, they never made it there. Governor Earl Snell, State Senate President Marshall Cornett, and Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr., boarded a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane on Oct. 28, 1947, for what was supposed to be a quick, 70-mile flight. The plane never landed in Klamath Falls. The aircraft went down in Lake County, killing all three passengers, as well as the plane's pilot, Cliff Hogue. The 1947 Oregon Beechcraft Bonanza crash is a truly tragic moment in Oregon history, and today we're going to take a look at how this event unfolded.

On Oct. 28, 1947, three prominent Oregon politicians boarded a privately owned airplane piloted by veteran pilot Cliff Hogue.

The plane was a brand-new, red-and-white model that had just been introduced that year: the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza.

Included on the flight was Oregon Governor Earl Snell.

Snell was a beloved politician and an avid outdoorsman. His political career was marked by myriad conservationist measures, including initiatives designed to promote agricultural, timber, and industrial interests to expand Oregon's economy.

The men set out on the hour-long flight to Klamath Falls around 10 p.m. on the evening of Oct. 28.

The politicians were looking forward to a rousing geese hunting expedition in Coleman Lake.

The men never arrived at their destination.

Oscar Kittredge, one of the Bonanza aircraft's owners, waited for the plane's arrival until the wee hours of the morning on Oct. 29. That morning, Kittredge called police to report the men missing.

A massive search-and-rescue ensued, with 14 planes embarking the next morning to begin searching for the missing aircraft, and any sign of survivors.

The search team targeted the area around of Dog Lake, on a tip from a local cattle ranch employee who reported hearing what sounded like a sputtering airplane the night before.

It was two miles west of Dog Lake where the search team discovered the plane's crash site later that afternoon.

Those originally discovering the crash site observed that the plane had cut a swath through the hillside, snapping off trees, and mangling the aircraft so severely that no one could have survived.

All four men were pronounced dead at the scene.

With no adverse weather conditions, and an experience pilot leading the crew, the crash was puzzling.

From the evidence at the scene, it appeared the pilot had simply misjudged his altitude while trying to stay under the cloud ceiling and over the terrain, and flew straight into the side of the ridge.

In addition to being a heartbreaking tragedy, it was also a moment of political crisis, as Oregon had lost its governor.

The position fell to Oregon's speaker of the state House of Representatives, John H. Hall, who was sworn in on Oct. 30, 1947. Hall's first act as governor was to proclaim the following Monday, Nov. 3, a statewide holiday and day of mourning.

The site of the spot had long been known to area residents as "Governor Ridge." A historic marker was later placed here to memorialize the site of the crash.

The crash site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 18, 2018.

Despite this tragedy, the Bonanza is thought to be the most successful small airplane in history; and a stretched, six-seat variant is still in production today.

In Oregon, where aerial tours are quite popular, aircraft pilots do part of their training in the cockpit of this iconic airplane.

This Beechcraft Bonanza Crash is one of Oregon's most heartbreaking tragedies. Did you know about the devastating story of the 1947 airplane crash in Oregon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Another iconic aircraft, the Spruce Goose, is on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, and is a wonderful place to learn about the Beaver State's rich aviation history.