Operation Medicine Bow

RICHARD W. MURPHY

On Thursday, October 6, 1955, at approximately 7:12 A.M. a United Air Lines DC-4 carrying 63 passengers and three crew members crashed into the east face of 12,005-foot Medicine Bow Peak, located about 40 miles west of Laramie, Wyoming. The immediate problem was removal of the bodies, collection of U.S. Air Mail, and survey of the wreckage in order to determine if possible the cause of the accident. Since the plane was lodged on a ledge halfway up a 600-foot cliff, experienced mountaineers were required. The University of Wyoming Outing Club (U.W.O.C.), located at Laramie, was called in immediately. Subsequently ten members of the Rocky Mountain Rescue Group (R.M.R.G.) located at Boulder, Colorado, and four members of the Colorado Mountaineering Club (C.M.C.), of Denver, were flown in to assist in the rescue.

Due to the remoteness of the crash, no rescue operations were attempted on Thursday, although two U.W.O.C. members and a Civilian Air Patrol official climbed to the wreck and ascertained that there were no survivors. The University of Wyoming opened its summer Science Camp, located six miles from the wreck, as a base for the task ahead. This proved of inestimable value, since the only alternate base was Laramie.

Medicine Bow Peak is an east-facing scarp several miles long and trending roughly north-south. The crash occurred about one-half mile south of the main peak at an elevation of approximately 11,600 feet. The face at this point consists of massive quartzite beds dipping east at 70 to 85 degrees. The plane crashed less than 100 feet below the crest and lodged on a diabase ledge which cuts irregularly across the quartzite beds. This ledge lies halfway up the 600-foot face. Below the face is a long steep talus cone which fans out to an intersection with two small lakes and a series of rock ramparts, in part morainal and in part remnant talus accumulations. These lie some 500 feet below and 600 feet out from the base of the cliff. A quarter mile beyond these lakes passes U.S. Highway 130, connecting Laramie and Saratoga. The terrain between the highway and the lakes is quite rough, suitable only to foot and horse transportation, although a jeep was eventually able to make its way in.

The ledge holding the wreckage is about 30 to 45 feet across, but slopes steeply outwards and is partially grass-covered. The wreck was distributed in two main areas, which were also the points of accumulation of bodies. At the base of the ledge and at the head of what we later called the middle gully were the tail assembly and the rear section of the fuselage, under each of which was wedged an indeterminate number of bodies. Our first estimate was 20 to 25, but this proved to be too low. Four or five others were scattered above the fuselage. Higher by 60 feet and to the left was a quartzite ledge above the diabase on which were strewn some badly burned airplane parts and approximately 20 bodies, equally scorched. Above, scattered on numerous small inaccessible ledges we could see bits of wreckage. Below, at the head of the talus cone stemming from the middle gully, were airplane parts that had dropped from above, together with two bodies.

A light mantle of fresh snow lay over the area, making passage of the boulder areas treacherous. Thursday was cold, clouded, and windy, which seemed to confirm the weather forecast of snow. We received an unexpected break in the weather, however, and the next four days were clear, warm, and relatively windless for that area. We finished bringing out the bodies on Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning it snowed.

The original organization of the parties to work Friday, the first day of rescue operations, broke down into six teams of about six men each. Each team was headed by a UAL employee, and three of the teams were equipped with handy-talky radios. It was deemed necessary to have a UAL employee as team leader because he could be counted on to know what the requirements were in a job such as this. Perhaps half of the original team members were mountaineers. All of these six teams were to work above, where the wreckage was lodged. Additional groups were formed for the work below.

We figured to work two parties simultaneously, one at either major piece of wreckage, extricating bodies and wrapping them in canvas. From there they would be lowered or carried to a third party working on the face of the cliff. The bodies would then be worked down the face of the cliff by a system of ropes. Additional teams below would carry them out in litters to where they could be horse-packed to the road. From the road they were to be taken in trucks to the temporary morgue set up at Science Camp. We knew that eventually we would have to ascend the cliff above or rappel from the top to make sure that we had covered all the possible areas where bodies might be lodged.

As the day progressed we found the rope-lowering system to be inadequate. Even though the face dipped at an angle of 70 to 85 degrees, the bodies repeatedly caught on promontories. It forced us to climb down the face and guide the body down at the same time, a process too dangerous and too time consuming to be practical. Further difficulties were encountered above, where the danger from falling rock increased. Not only did those working above inevitably dislodge rocks upon those below, but also pieces of airplane periodically clanged their way down the mountain, either carried away by a gust of wind or seemingly falling spontaneously. This meant that all parties except the highest were continually ducking for cover as the warning cry "Rock!” or the thin metallic reverberation of an airplane part echoed down the face. It was obvious that there were too many parties working independently, and that the task needed someone in over-all charge on the mountain, and that those without mountaineering experience were at a distinct disadvantage. Furthermore, it was urgent that we devise another means of lowering the bodies to the base. Only four bodies were delivered to the morgue that day, and two of these were from the wreckage at the head of the talus.

During the evening meeting with the UAL officials the climbers requested the following things:

(1) the establishment of a high line from the head of the middle gully to Base.

(2) fewer parties and fewer people on the mountain, and a much smaller percentage of non-mountaineers on top. These requests were readily granted.

Saturday morning at Base Camp one of the University of Wyoming climbers was designated leader of the cliffside operations. The organization for the day was as follows: a party of two from R.M.R. was sent by a long route to the top of the cliff, where they were to survey from above to locate bodies lodged on the higher ledges. The remaining members of R.M.R. were to clean up around the wreckage on the quartzite, that which was above and to the left of the tail assembly and rear fuselage. The Wyoming University mountaineers and the four C.M.C. men were to work at the tail assembly and handle the high line. No one was to work above a party unless permission was given, because of the danger of falling rock. Should the R.M.R. party, working on the higher ledge, feel that precautions would not eliminate the rock danger, they would request the middle gully be cleared.

While this was going on the high line was installed. Anchored at Base Camp, some 500 feet below the wreck, and perhaps 600 feet out from the face of the cliff, was a ¼-inch six-strand nylon-cored steel cable, the other end of which was snubbed around a rock outcrop above and clamped with six cable clamps. To this static line was attached a trolley consisting of a single 10-inch bearing-mounted snatch block, hooked into and secured to a carabiner. The carabiner was tied directly to the body bag by from four to six lengths of ¼-inch Manila rope. The Manila was used to draw the sack up and to distribute the load over the six handles of the body bag. Attached to the snatch block was a 1,200-foot

-inch nylon rope which was used as the brake and haul line. This line was passed through a series of pulleys, used only to change the direction and to eliminate rock friction, and extended back down the mountain to a haul party below. Its length was increased by tying in an additional 1,000-foot ½-inch Manila rope (all of which was not needed). Due to the elasticity of nylon rope, Manila would have been preferable for the brake line. When the body was attached to the trolley, it was shoved off and allowed to descend to the lower terminal, the haul party braking the line gradually when required. The body was removed at the base and the trolley hauled back up the mountain.

The upper areas were cleared by Sunday afternoon, permitting R.M.R. to depart for Boulder. We found the optimum number to work on the mountain to be between 14 and 20. One man was detailed as permanent radio operator.

It may be asked whether anyone found himself unable to work in the proximity of the bodies, considering that they were all in quite bad shape. Once the initial shock was over, the urgency of the task and the necessity for constant work overcame any tendencies to nausea. We found it advisable always to give a newcomer time to look around before he was given a task.

All the work done on the upper face and on the quartzite ledge was done by the R.M.R. One body was found on a ledge some 150 feet above the diabase ledge and had to be tied and lowered by a person who had rappelled from the top. The rest of the face was investigated by rappelling down 300 feet from the top and swinging from side to side to give complete coverage. The quartzite ledge itself produced about 20 bodies, which were wrapped on the spot and lowered to the trolley by ropes. Considerably dangerous work was involved extricating bodies from loosely perched pieces of wreckage. Most of this was accomplished Sunday morning, during which time it was necessary to keep all workers out of the middle gully.

ANALYSIS

A mountain crash such as this one, in which the plane remains lodged on a virtual cliffside, is probably exceedingly unusual. Nevertheless, we should like to offer suggestions on organization and equipment in case our effort should have to be duplicated.

Where a large number of bodies is to be evacuated over terrain this difficult, a high line is certainly advisable. Rope lowering cannot be done successfully on anything less than a sheer 90-degree face. A high line also saves packing bodies out over talus and moraine. Such a rig requires cable, rope, pulleys, carabiners, pitons, piton hammers, swivels, and numerous other items. A regular tramway, such as one of the standard U.S. Army sets, would be desirable if there is a good location for the upper terminal. It is suggested that airlines consider the inclusion of this equipment in their crash kits.

U.S. Air Force body bags, made of a coated fabric and equipped with a full-length zipper and six handles, are infinitely superior to simple canvasses in which the bodies must be wrapped. The condition of the remains is often such that use of a canvas wrap is not feasible.

Handy-talky radios are necessary items of equipment and are particularly useful if they net with state police channels.

Trained mountaineers are required for this type of rescue. It is suggested that mountain rescue teams around the country prepare themselves for this type of operation and register with airlines which service their area.