Crash of the Airliner "Resolution," 1953
San Mateo County, San Mateo County, California
Marker Inscription
In memoriam the aircraft "Resolution" The Australian company British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines DC-6B, VH-BPE, on a scheduled flight from Sydney to San Francisco with a final destination of Vancouver, Canada, crashed on Kings Mountain in San Mateo County during the morning hours of October 29, 1953. This is the worst aviation accident in county history, claiming the lives of all on board, eight crew members and eleven passengers. The cause of this disaster remains a mystery but is a testament to modern day aviation safety procedures initiated from that day forth. Crew: Capt. Bruce Dickson, 1st off. Frank A. Campbell, Flt. Eng. Charles Cattanach, Navg. George R. Murtagh, Radio Op. Vernon A. Walker, purser: Walter B. Knight, Hostesses: June F. Elder, Amy K. Lewis. Passengers: John R. Briscoe, John W. Butterworth, Jean Chiverton, William J. Cox, Reginald Eastoe, Janos Feher & son John, William Kapell, Cyril G. McDonald, Capt. Paul O. Olsen, Bernard R. Tischler. This memorial made possible through the efforts of Christopher M. O'Donnell, Flight of the Resolution Committee, Hiller Aviation Museum, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Historical Preservation Foundation of Native Sons of the Golden West and valued contributors. Dedicated October 29, 2006 Native Sons of the Golden West Grand president, J. Michael Anthony
Erected by Native Sons of the Golden West
The Story
On the morning of October 29, 1953, a British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines DC-6B bound from Sydney to San Francisco crashed into Kings Mountain, killing all nineteen people aboard — the deadliest aviation accident in San Mateo County history. Among the dead was William Kapell, one of America's most gifted young concert pianists, returning from an Australian tour. Though the exact cause was never resolved, the disaster fed into the tightening of aviation safety practices in the years that followed.
Why it matters
The crash stands as a somber marker in the growth of long-distance air travel and the hard-won safety culture that eventually made modern flying routine.
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Related people
- · William Kapell
Related events
- · 1953 BCPA Kings Mountain air crash
Themes & tags
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