Annette Island Airport, August 1953

Paulu T. Saari

A Pan American airliner sits on the tarmac at the Annette Island Airport. In the background, along with an Ellis Air LInes Grumman Goose, are a number of US Air Force, US Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Air Force planes. The military aircraft were among those dispatched to search for the plane of New Mexico oilman Ellis Hall and his party of four that disappeared earlier that week on a flight to Bellingham. The crash site was eventually found by local pilot Herman Ludwigsen in a heavily wooded and mountainous area near Boca de Quadra. There were no survivors of the crash.

Ketchikan Daily News photo caption (image 2003.2.63.1363), 8/24/1953
"Alaskan Canadian, Stateside Planes Hunt for Missing Oil Executive
A Royal Canadian air force Lancaster (above, right) reported in to Annette island yesterday afternoon from Sand Spit, B.C. after searching Graham island. The RCAF has had three of the Lancaster at the Annette base and three at Sand Spit. Yesterday the three planes based here and the above plane left for the airfield at Sand Spit. The AJ957 (above) was recalled from a flight in California to take part in the Search for Ellis Hall, New Mexico oil man, and his party of four which disappeared Monday after taking off from Annette for Bellingham."

Ketchikan Museums: Paulu T. Saari Collection, KM 2003.2.63.1363