This Day in Yukon History

Search ensues for missing aircraft

August 22, 1935 – “DAWSON, Y.T.. Aug. 22. – Five aeroplanes combed the air route between here and Fairbanks, Alaska, fruitlessly Wednesday for an air liner piloted by Arthur F. Hines, of Fairbanks, unreported since it left here at noon Monday with three passengers, John F. Lonz, Fairbanks merchant; his bride of a month, and Alton Nordale, clerk of the U.S. district court.

Hines failed to arrive at Fairbanks, and it is believed he may have been forced down somewhere in the Tanana valley. The craft was last seen flying high over Chicken Creek, Alaska, 100 miles west of Dawson.

Of the searching aeroplanes, three were equipped with wheels and the other two with pontoons. They were piloted by J. E. Lynn, M. W. Sassoon, Perry Hubbard, Jerry Jones and Vernon Bookwalter.”

The burned wreckage of the aircraft, which was returning to Fairbanks from the Discovery Day celebrations in Dawson City, was found on a mountaintop 173 miles east of Fairbanks a year later.

(Edmonton Journal – Edmonton Journal, Alberta)

Murray Lundberg

Travelling, writing, and photographing for articles and blog posts at ExploreNorth.

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