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1995

February 19          1995       Al Hendricks, EOD’s as the Park’s 24th superintendent.  In 1961 Mr. Hendricks, along with his parents, visited Crater Lake and took a boat ride. “One of our concerns is to maintain that water clarity.  We’re going to be in a position of doing everything was can to be more efficient, yet serve the public better.  At the same time, we need to protect our natural resources.”

March 15               1995       Crater Lake Institute formed.  An outstanding web site is established at: www.craterlakeinstitute.org Whether you are conducting research, hiking, birding, botanizing, or making a quick trip around the rim, our goal is to enrich your Crater Lake National Park experience. The CLI also publishes post cards, mural-type puzzles of regional national park areas, and trail guides. Recognition is given to Lake researchers.

May                        1995       Reconstructed Crater Lake Lodge reopens after being shut down for 5 years. So extensive was the $21 million restoration that only 10% of the original lodge remains in the new building.

June 3                    1995       A Chinook helicopter from the Washington Army Reserve drops a new 12,000-pound, $150,000, 33 foot, research boat onto the Lake from Discovery Point. The new boat is especially designed for work on Crater Lake and is unofficially christened “Neuston” for an organism that dwells on the surface of the Lake. The old research boat in removed.  Researchers had used old pontoon-style boats for the past eight years, but the vessels would rock heavily during lake swells.  The Neuston will provide better safety for researchers while giving them a few extra advantages such as radar and a crane.  The boat will also be used for search and rescue.

Specifications of the R/V Neuston: 33 foot Munson Hammerhead, V Hull, custom built circa 1995 aluminum hull and pilot house dual V-8 engines supply thrust, electrical, and hydraulic power, Volvo Penta outdrives with dual, counter-rotating props, Pilot house has GPS, radar, depth finder/sonar, The boom crane and winch are rated at 800 pounds with a 2000 foot, 3/16 inch, wire rope (cable), Port-side sampling station with 1/8 inch wire rope, winches, and gypsy head,

Operations: The R/V Neuston is housed in the Wizard Island boathouse over winter. The pilothouse is removed for winter storage. The R/V Neuston is moored either at Cleetwood Cove or Wizard Island during summer operations. The boat is all-weather capable and able to withstand 5-foot waves that are common on the lake.

The GPS can be linked to the navigation system for hands-free operation during science expeditions.

June 28                  1995       A three year-old boy falls three stories from Room 301 and lands in a newly planted bush between the Lodge and the caldera wall.  Rescued by his doctor father and airlifted out by helicopter to Bend.  Was unhurt.  The boy had leaned against an unhooked window screen while sitting on the window box.

August 12              1995       20th Annual Crater Lake Rim Run Winners:

Men:         6.7        Scott Van Jacob, of Carlisle, Penn                   35:49

13.0

Scott Martin, 31, of Ashland, OR                       1:20:43 (Scott’s third win)

26.2        Jerry Spears, 30, of Lancaster, CA                   2:40:30 (new course record)

Women    6.7        Monica Hakki-’Davidson, 23, West Linn, OR   40:24

13.0        Rosa Gutierres, 31, of Sunnyvale, CA             1:24:14 (new course record)

26.2        Carol Tuckerman, 30, of Dundee, OR              3:31:45

August 22              1995       Dorothy Gifford, a 73 year-old Medford woman falls to her death from Sinnott Overlook.  The woman was sitting on the stonewall, changing film in her camera, when she apparently fainted from the combination of high elevation and the effects of recent surgery and plunged 700 feet to the rocks below.  Her husband, Herb Gifford, was a past school board member for the Medford School District and all around gadfly.

September 23      1995       An Aerospatiale AS 350 helicopter from Seattle (heading for Las Vegas) crashes and sinks in 1,500 feet of water between Wizard Island and the Lodge.  Several dozen Park visitors watched while the helicopter skimmed over the smooth surface of the Lake and then suddenly plunged into the deep water.  Speculation is that the pilot, George W. Causey, 52, of Enumclaw, WA, became confused by the near perfect reflection as he flew toward the Lake reflection thinking it was the sky.  There was no indication of engine problems. Killed, along with the pilot was passenger Edward O. Tulleners of West Linn, on his 45th birthday. The helicopter was a seven passenger Eurocopter, built by the World’s largest manufacturer of civil helicopters.  Little was recovered except for some shreds of the rotors and a seat cushion. In June 1996, Park Superintendent Al Hendricks was quoted as saying, “The technology is there to proceed with recover.  What we are struggling with is whether it’s worth it.  Both families decided the bottom of Crater Lake would be a pretty good place (for the crash victims) to spend eternity.”

To Larry Smith: December 1, 2003 – A follow up letter to the helicopter crash.

In 1995 my best friend from childhood to Vietnam and up until 1995, George Causey, ended up at the bottom of Crater Lake. I would like to know if any thing has occurred since I visited there in October 95…has anything floated to the top…is the helicopter still at the bottom…any information would be sincerely appreciated…anything at all…thanks..Jim Pruett…..jimpruett@nol.net

Jim’s request was sent to retired Chief Ranger George Buckingham who had handled the original investigation. His response – December 4, 2003….Nothing new floated up while I was at the Park. Did you know that the Park negotiated a settlement that funded the side scanning sonar survey?  Found no helicopter or body parts. The families were content to leave things as they are. For what it’s worth, I don’t think it is worthwhile to pursue the subject any further. They used the latest technology to try to find it. And, even if they did find it, the cost/effect/impact of raising would not accomplish anything, other than to remove some trash. I think the impact would be much greater than any benefit in removal. NPS and concessionaires have dumped more than that in the Lake over the years!

Larry  & Steve,

I spoke with Lodge guests who actually witnessed the helicopter crash on that clear weather Sept. morning; so, there were witnesses.  Of course, they said that as soon as the ship’s runners struck the lake surface, the copter flipped and immediately sank…easy to miss since it all occurred so quickly !

PS: (crash site between Wizard Island and Lodge as viewed from Mather Point)

Ron Warfield – former Chief of Interpretation

Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2014

Subject: Re: this story about Crater Lake ran tonight on KDRV-12 in Medford

Hi Larry: Thanks for forwarding the clip about air crashes at CLNP.  During the late 1960s, when I was studying the lake with Jack Donaldson and Owen Hoffman, Park biologist Dick Brown told us a story about two aircraft that crashed into the lake during the 1940s.  Two Army Air Corps biplanes (possibly primary trainers, PT-17 Stearmans) from Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls flew into the caldera and proceeded to cross the lake barely above the water, one plane closely trailing the other.  Each plane contained a student and an instructor.  Like the 1995 helicopter crash, the pilot of the first plane apparently failed to distinguish sky from water.  That plane hit the water, sending a wall of water and plane parts skyward that downed the trailing plane.  Also like the 1995 crash, aircraft debris and bodies largely disappeared beneath the waves and were never recovered.

I’m reporting what I heard.  The story sticks in my memory because I have always been greatly interested in airplanes and aviation.  Can anyone confirm, deny or amend this story?  Were there any witnesses to the crash?

Regards,

Doug Larson, former Lake researcher

November           1995        Friends of Crater Lake National Park begin operating the WINTER RIM INFORMATION DESK in the Cafeteria building and assisting at the Steel Center.

December             1995       Crater Lake National Park, along with most other Federal facilities, is shut down for three weeks due to a Congressional budget battle and impasse.

Season                  1995       Shopping for the first time has replaced Crater Lake as the region’s most popular tourist draw.  In a survey conducted by the S.O. V.A of the most-visited places in the region, respondents cited shopping number one at 41 percent followed by Crater Lake at 39 percent, historical sites at 30 percent, and Shakespeare at 19 percent.

A total of 17 fires for the season.  Nine were human caused and 8 were lightening caused.  The largest (Calypso) 10 acres grew to about 10 acres.

Fiscal Year            1995       ONPS Budget set at: $2.7 million

Season                  1995       Visitation: 542,611 (Online says: 496,041)

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