Rural Vermont October 2, 1957
De Havilland L-20 Beaver
U. S. Army Photo
On the morning of October 2, 1957, a U. S. Army De Havilland Canada, L-20, Beaver, (Ser. No. 56-4398), with four officers aboard, took off from Governor’s Island, New York, bound for Burlington, Vermont. During the trip the aircraft encountered bad weather and crashed into a mountain side. Some sources say it was Lookout Mountain, near Middlebury Vermont. Another source states it was the east side of Bloodfoot Mountain about seven miles east of Brandon, Vermont. Still another source states the crash occurred on Lookoff Mountain near Goshen, Vermont.
In any case, three of the four men aboard were killed instantly, but a fourth survived for at least three days.
When the plane failed to arrive at Burlington, a search was instituted, but the wreckage wasn’t found until ten days later.
The dead were identified as:
Captain Eual A. Cathey, 33, of Oklahoma. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/477750/eual-arthur-cathey
Lt. Colonel Clinton G. Merrill, 44. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49260042/clinton-gadeken-merrill
Colonel David M. Perkins, 51, of Texas. Col. Perkins survived the initial crash but succumbed to dehydration three days later. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59919319/david-mural-perkins
Colonel Emery E. Hyde, 47, of Oregon. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49210277/emery-erwin-hyde
One of the planes involved in the search for this aircraft crashed on Mt. Greylock in Massachusetts. To learn more – click here.
Sources:
www.findagrave.com
Aviation Safety Network
Evening Bulletin, (RI), “Lack Of Water Kills Crash Survivor” October 14, 1957.
