35 Chutists Flee as Plane Fire Halts Record Free-Fall Attempt

PERRIS, Calif. — A World War II vintage plane carrying 35 civilian parachutists bent on setting a free-fall formation record burst into flame Saturday as it moved down the runway, but everyone on board disembarked safely before the aircraft disintegrated.

“The whole plane, which is mostly made out of aluminum, just melted before our eyes,” said David Keith, who had been in the plane and had planned to take pictures of the night parachute formation. “Flames were leaping 15 feet on top of the cockpit, which itself is about 15 feet off the ground.”

The incident at Perris Valley Airport occurred about 6:45 p.m. Riverside County Fire Department dispatcher Dale Hutchinson confirmed that there were no injuries reported in the DC-3 fire.

There were 38 people on board: 35 parachutists, Keith, a pilot and a co-pilot, said Rich Brooks, one of the parachutists who is also the city editor of the San Bernardino Sun.

“We were at the end of the runway, firing up the engines, and then there was a loud bang from the left engine,” Brooks said. “The cover of the engine blew off and the engine folded under the plane,” Keith added.

“There was approximately one minute of panic” as the plane ground to a halt and the occupants rushed for the only door which Keith, the vice president of a construction company, described as the width of a telephone booth and about 4 1/2 feet high.

Then Al Krueger of the Perris Valley Parachute Center took charge and told the parachutists to line up single file and walk out, Keith said.

“That created no panic,” he said. “Everybody calmed down and walked out” despite flames that surrounded the plane.

“The left engine blew, and the door is on the left side,” Keith said. “The flames were in front of the door on the ground because of the fuel dropping there.”

Of the 35 parachutists on board, 15 were to exit early at about 12,000 feet, and the other 20 were to jump at about 15,000 feet along with 20 from a second plane that was to take off about 15 minutes after the DC-3, Keith said.

“We have been trying for the last year, once a month, every time we have a full moon,” he said. “We have had three attempts and have been unsuccessful, once we had 39 out of 40, once 38 out of 40.”

Despite the near tragedy, the group plans to try again next month, Keith said.

“We have to get back on the horse,” he said.