Recently, the Long Beach Press Telegram featured a story about Joan Merriam Smith and the work that G. Pat Macha of Aircraft Wrecks is doing as it pertains to researching historic aircraft wrecks. You can view the full article here.
I first came across Macha while researching all that I could about plane crashes for Fate on a Folded Wing. During that time period, I inadvertently came across a TV show called Aircraft Confidential in which Macha was featured. In that episode, Macha talked about a woman who survived a plane crash caused by clear air turbulence near the top of Mount Whitney in the 1970s, among other topics that piqued my interest. Soon thereafter I found myself reaching out to him over email. I explained that I was working on a book about Joan Merriam Smith: coincidentally—and much to my surprise—he had recalled visiting the area of Joan and Trixie’s fatal crash site back in 1965!
As it turns out, Macha truly was best expert talk to, and it was serendipitous because I came across that television show by complete accident (not much of a television-watcher). Not only has Macha visited over 800 crash sites, but he’s also written a handful of books documenting plane crashes across Southern California. You can visit his website to learn more about his work here. In addition, he’s given countless lectures and has also been featured on many television shows.
To hear more about how he got involved in this line of work, watch the below video:
What’s so neat about the way that the Long Beach Press Telegram article came together, is that in part due to our correspondence, Macha’s team decided to research, locate, and visit Joan’s first plane crash site in the Southern California desert over 50 years later. In the Press Telegram article, you can read more about how they located the site and what they found along the way.
Prior to connecting with Pat, I had no idea that there were people out there who researched and documented aircraft wrecks. I also didn’t realize that there were teams of volunteers who worked to honor those who have been lost in plane crashes. From the website, Macha writes:
The Project Remembrance Team is a volunteer organization dedicated to facilitate requests of next of kin who wish to learn more about the loss of loved ones in aircraft accidents, including crash site visitations, and the placing of memorials where legal to do so.
In the past twenty-five years the Project Remembrance Team has assisted more than one hundred next of kin fulfill their wishes for accident reports, maps, photographs, and crash site visitations. On one occasion where a crash site could not be safely reached on foot a flyover was arranged. More than a dozen memorial markers have been placed at, or near crash sites, all with the permission of the property owners, be they private, state, or federal.
All missions are completed with respect and admiration for those who have come forth to honor the memory for those whom they have loved and lost. Losses suffered by our first responders, and members of our armed forces receive an appropriate extra measure of attention.
At least for Macha, for myself, and for his counterpart Tom Maloney (also mentioned int he article), it seems as if there’s something simply special about Joan’s story that is truly compelling and completely worth exploring. Like Maloney, I too have had a sense of pull and intrigue with this story from the very beginning. It certainly does provide an invitation for us all to explore! What do you think?
Fate on a Folded Wing 