Missing Plane
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February 13, 1978 |
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By Walt Walker
While most RMRU members were participating in the previous mission, I received a call from one of our coordinators Jerry Muratet, that a plane was missing and was thought to be down near Corona. There had been a short break in the weather and a military search helicopter had sighted what was thought to be the wreckage.
After another round of pager and telephone calls, by and through the sheriff's department, it was decided that Hal Fulkman and I would meet a Marine helicopter at the Hemet Airport. We both drove home and picked up our gear. Within about 20 minutes we were waiting at the airport with the rain coming down so hard, ducks could swim in it. After about 30 minutes the pagers went off again. I called Riverside and the dispatcher asked us to drive to the Corona airport.
Into my car, went us and our gear, and we were off towards Corona. just as we neared March Air Force Base, you guessed it, the pagers once again. I pulled off the highway and phoned Riverside again. Cancel was the word, they said that the military was going to assist the sheriff's department in the morning. We later learned that the wreckage sighted was a very old one and not the missing plane.