Carole Lombard Crash Site

Above, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.

Back in January 2015, bought the book, Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 by Robert Marzan. It was the story of the January 16, 1942 crash of TWA Flight 3 into Mount Potosi after taking off from McCarran Field in Las Vegas killing actress Carole Lombard, her mother, Clark Gable's assistant Otto Winkler (Gable was married to Lombard at the time) and 21 others.

When the DC-3 crashed, the fireball from Mount Potosi was seen 40 miles away. 

A few months later, I was in Las Vegas and on the way home on Interstate 15, I took several photos of Mount Potosi from the side of the interstate.

I was reading the book this evening and then took a look at the photos of the peak that I took. Using photos from the book and other photos online as references, I pinpointed the crash site on the silhouette of the mountain. I circled the location on one of my photos and it is below.

Above, the crash site of TWA Flight 3 is at the circle on Mount Potosi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The DC-3 is still at the crash site and, occasionally, hikers still find pieces of human remains. Lombard's wedding ring has never been found. Her body was found with her left arm missing. Gable did offer a reward to anyone who finds the ring. 

An expanded edition of Marzan's book was published in 2017, which I also bought. 

Aerial Views Near Las Vegas

Above, in the distance (the bright light) is the Ivanpah solar generating plant. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While flying to Las Vegas McCarran Airport, I saw a couple of interesting things.

First, in the distance, was a view of the Ivanpah (CA) Solar Electric Generating System's solar thermal plant across the California-Nevada border near Primm, Nevada.

Above and below, this may (or may not) be Mt. Potosi. It
is part of this mountain range. Photos by Armand Vaquer.

Next, was the mountain range to the west of Las Vegas. One of the peaks is Mt. Potosi, where actress Carole Lombard and 21 others aboard a TWA DC-3 were killed when the plane slammed into the mountain in January 1942 after take-off. (An interesting book on the crash, Fireball, is one I recommend.)

I don't know if we passed over or next to Mt. Potosi, but I took photos of what may be the peak. It was the highest peak in the general area. Mt. Potosi is about 8,000 feet high.

Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 Expanded Edition

Above, a vintange photo of the El Rancho Vegas.

Yesterday, after taking care of business at the Gallup office of the Motor Vehicle Division, on the way home I stopped at the Flying J to pick up my mail.

I received a package from Amazon of the expanded edition of Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 (trade paperback) on the 1942 TWA place crash that killed actress Carole Lombard and 21 others.

I already have the hardcover edition, but new information and 32 pages of photos included in the expanded edition were too tempting to pass up. I started reading it last night.

One thing that intrigued me was the El Rancho Vegas Hotel where Lombard's husband Clark Gable waited while search and recovery operations were taking place on Mt. Potosi.

Above, a view of Mt. Potosi from Interstate 15. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The hotel opened during the previous year and was the biggest hotel in Las Vegas for many years. It was destroyed by a fire in 1960. It was located at 2500 Las Vegas Blvd. It looked like it was a fun place to stay.

Since it has been a while since I read the hardcover edition, I am enjoying reading the expanded edition. It is an excellent read!

Las Vegas Parting Shot: Mount Potosi

Above, the dark silhouette of Mount Potosi in the distance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Recently, I read Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 by Robert Matzen (Paladin Communications). When I was finished with it, my daughter Amber (a Clark Gable fan) borrowed it to read. For those who are fans of Gable, Lombard or Hollywood history, I recommend this book.

Ever since I read Gable and Lombard (made into a so-so movie with James Brolin and Jill Clayburgh) in the 1970s, I've found myself looking at Mount Potosi to the southwest of Las Vegas whenever I was in Las Vegas. The DC-3 carrying Lombard slammed into Potosi in January 1942.

As we headed home last evening from Las Vegas, I stopped along the road to take a few snapshots of Mount Potosi, one of which is posted above.

Got Me Some Readin' To Do

Good old Amazon. I ordered Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 the other day and it arrived today. It is about the January 16, 1942 crash of TWA Flight 3 that took the life of Mrs. Clark Gable, Carole Lombard and 21 other passengers.

The story about the crash on Mount Petosi (outside of Las Vegas, Nevada) has fascinated me ever since I read the book, Gable and Lombard back in the mid-1970s. Debris from the crash still sits on the side of Mount Petosi today and, presumably, some human remains.

I happened to be looking at YouTube videos about the crash a few nights ago and discovered that a book on the crash was published two years ago. So I ordered it.

Thumbing though it, I found the above photo of Eddie Mannix with Clark Gable and Al Menasco leaving the El Rancho Hotel in Las Vegas on Jan. 20, 1942. Eddie Mannix, Vice President of MGM, was later involved in the controversy involving his wife Toni and the death of Adventures of Superman star George Reeves.

Much has been written about Eddie Mannix and his health problems in the 1950s and 1960s. He apparently was in good enough health to make the rough trek up Mount Petosi to identify the remains of Carole Lombard. Gable was MGM's biggest contract star.

I got me some reading to do tonight.