Inside the 1958 Lockheed Lodestar Disaster: the Investigation and Wreckage of Mike Todd’s Fatal Flight
Q1: Why was Elizabeth Taylor not on the plane when it crashed?
A1: Taylor was scheduled to travel with Todd to New York, but she caught a severe case of bronchitis accompanied by a 102-degree fever the day before departure. Todd insisted she stay home in California to rest rather than face the cold transcontinental flight.
Q2: Where exactly did the plane crash take place?
A2: The crash occurred in the Zuni Mountains, approximately 12 miles southwest of Grants, New Mexico, near an isolated area known as the Continental Divide rim. The wreckage was scattered across a snow-covered pine forest.
Q3: Did the pilot make an emergency distress call before impact?
A3: Pilot William Verner did not issue a formal Mayday call, but he did radio ground controllers requesting an emergency altitude climb to escape severe icing conditions. Radar and radio contact were lost moments later as the plane stalled.
