THE BEGICH-BOGGS CRASH

I came across the original NTSB report on the Cessna 310 crash which killed Congressman Begich. The oddest note is the mysterious briefcase object carried on board by the pilot, which was supposed to be but was not his portable emergency locater (if I read that right). Also, a google search on the aircraft number , N1812H, turns up a damaging wheels-up crash in 1967 in Texas. Nick's professional conspiracy theories aside (he's even filled in for Art Bell), you should see the disturbing FBI telex on his web site. The site also has Tom's prelude to a book about his dad.

Charles and Tom gave me the lowdown on this one evening, a story that at the very least kept turning in uncomfortable directions.

This came up when I stopped by the amazing Naval Undersea Weapons museumtoday (please note the extraordinary flywheel powered brass torpedo) and was chatting with a 30 year vet Navy Diver about aircraft recovery. (note to self re: us naval undersea weapons. DO NOT attempt to run a US Mark 48 torpedo-mine blockade, should one arise-the incredibly deadly, accurate torpedo waits around by itself for someone to piss it off). He was pointing out that new ROVs with side-scan sonar can search under glaciers if need be, and that it might be possible to talk a commerical ROV operator into a search.

[That brings back a lot of memories. My Dad was up searching more-or-less non-stop in the days following the crash, and took me along for some of the flights. Some of the searchers (including him, I suspect) took very significant risks during that period. And I remember late in the game the U.S. committed a Blackbird spy plane to the search.

I never met a conspiracy theory I didn't like, but Jonz's behavior also bears disturbing similarities to that of the bungling doctors who serve the rich and famous. (Who forgets their emergency locator beacon!?) And disappearing in Alaska - happens all the time, as we all know. Nickerson's book about this is worth reading (just to prove we're all immortal on the Internet, the review I hastily put up on Amazon back in '98 - "A Remarkable Memoir and History" - is still there).

But air travel's not that safe, even in corporate jets. Can you imagine what people would say if golfer Payne Stewart had been in congress? And yes, there are Payne Stewart conspiracy theories.

- MoF]