04/11/1960
A big U.S. Navy flying boat, its starboard engine coughing and sputtering, jettisoned most of its fuel, then landed in Ascarate Lake Sunday afternoon.
Thousands of El Pasoans, armed with cameras and field glasses, lined the lake shore after police and sheriff’s deputies reopened the park area. The lake area was closed while the aircraft circled and prepared to make a landing in the 3,000-foot long lake.
Pilot of the craft, a P-5-M Martin Marlin flying boat, is Lt. (j.g.) M.T. Burke. He said he made the decision to land in the “pond” in El Paso when the starboard engine began cutting out every few minutes.
“The trouble started around Yuma,” Lt. Burke said, “But it didn’t get serious until we were 50 or 60 miles out of El Paso.” The officer said it was decided to come to El Paso rather than try for Elephant Butte Lake.
Lt. (j.g.) Don Linn, the co-pilot, said it sounded as if several spark plugs in the starboard engine were fouling, cutting out the cylinders.
Before landing, much of the plane’s fuel was dumped.
“We still have enough to get to Corpus Christi,” Burke said.
The flying boat left San Diego early Sunday and was en route to Baltimore, Md., via Pensacola, Fla. The crew of seven were members of a ferrying group which transports planes to various parts of the nation.
Burke and Lin said they were not in the least worried about landing in Ascarate Lake, but taking off again is another matter.
“We’ll have to get the engine repaired first,” Burke said. “Then, we’ll probably need help to get off the ground.”
The plane landed from south to north, then was towed with the assistance of a Sheriff’s Department boat piloted by Deputy Charlie Barker, and a County Recreation Department boat, handled by Earl Thurston, to the north end of the lake.
When Burke telephoned his headquarters to report the mishap, he told the officer that, to get the plane up, “We’ll have to have a good wind, jets and a cool day.”
The plane will be anchored in Ascarate for an “indefinite” period, the officers said. Burke said he and his men possibly could fix the engine, but probably help from the Navy would be forthcoming.
The landing was made safely, if a bit on the noisy side, and Sunday boaters and water skiers, were kept ashore by squads of police.
One of the crewmen remarked that the plane landed “just in time to see the bullfights in Juarez.”
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The family was talking about this the other night and I decided to look it up. It's just great to learn about what happened here at home. Do you have any pictures?
Posted by: Yariela Raley | June 12, 2010 at 11:26 AM