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Finding Carla: The Story that Forever Changed Aviation Search and Rescue
In March 1967, a Cessna 195 flew from Oregon towards San Francisco carrying a family of Alvin Oien, Sr. (the pilot), his wife Phyllis and step-daughter Carla Corbus. Due to worse-than-predicted weather, it went down in the Trinity Mountains of California only eight miles from a highway and beneath a busy commercial airway. This was before radio-beacon type emergency locators were required equipment for airplanes; the family survived the crash for almost two months but the ruggedness of the terrain and the fact that they were far off their intended course made finding them by sight impossible. Searchers determined the weather in the mountains also made living impossible after a period of time had passed.
Half a year later, the eventual finding of the wreck by hunters shocked the nation. A diary and series of letters from the survivors explained their predicament. These Oien family documents as well as photos of the family and from the search are included in the story.
This tragedy spurred political action towards the mandatory Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) that are carried aboard all U.S. civil aircraft. ELT radios have saved thousands of lives since they were mandated and their technology continues to improve and find more lost people. Pilots who read this story will never fly without a flight plan, survival gear, or a working ELT. In aviation, we say the regulations are “written in blood.” This compelling story is the “blood” behind the ELT regulations.
While indeed tragic, the Oien family’s legacy has a brighter Their story led directly to this effective legislation of requirements for the airplane locators that have since saved so many lives in search-and-rescue operations. Their complete story is now told for the first time―the “Carla Corbus Diary” is uncovered here along with the family letters that accompanied it, never before published in full.
Half a year later, the eventual finding of the wreck by hunters shocked the nation. A diary and series of letters from the survivors explained their predicament. These Oien family documents as well as photos of the family and from the search are included in the story.
This tragedy spurred political action towards the mandatory Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELTs) that are carried aboard all U.S. civil aircraft. ELT radios have saved thousands of lives since they were mandated and their technology continues to improve and find more lost people. Pilots who read this story will never fly without a flight plan, survival gear, or a working ELT. In aviation, we say the regulations are “written in blood.” This compelling story is the “blood” behind the ELT regulations.
While indeed tragic, the Oien family’s legacy has a brighter Their story led directly to this effective legislation of requirements for the airplane locators that have since saved so many lives in search-and-rescue operations. Their complete story is now told for the first time―the “Carla Corbus Diary” is uncovered here along with the family letters that accompanied it, never before published in full.
230 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 28, 2017
This book will rip your heart out. A family flying from Oregon to San Francisco crashes in the Trinity Alps near Weaverville in late winter. The mother and daughter survive on two bags of mandms for a week, then a couple jars of jelly then only ice for the last month, they kept a diary which is printed in the book. After a month they realize they will die there, they hear passenger jets going overhead, but they believe no one is searching for them and they know they will die. Also printed is the letters they write to family and the 16 year-old write to her boyfriend. We read sixty days of entries before they run out of energy to keep writing. The husband/father went out in search of help after a few days and didn't return
They die even though they could have been saved by a device the FAA refused to make a requirement. The reaction to the diary, the words of a sixteen year old forgotten about, hopeless, force congress to make the FAA require a transmitting device in All planes. Carla saved hundreds (1000s?) of lives. V. clear from this book she shouldn't have had to.
They die even though they could have been saved by a device the FAA refused to make a requirement. The reaction to the diary, the words of a sixteen year old forgotten about, hopeless, force congress to make the FAA require a transmitting device in All planes. Carla saved hundreds (1000s?) of lives. V. clear from this book she shouldn't have had to.
August 9, 2016
Did Not Die in Vain
Oft times, tragedies spur great leaps forward. Ross Nixon notes that in his preface citing “the Lindberg law, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Law and Kristen’s Law” as examples of important, meaningful legislation born at the door of calamity. Finding Carla is just such a story of how a tragic air accident which terminated the lives of Carla and her mother and step-father proved the genesis for legislation that has since saved thousands of others.
Nixon’s motivation for writing this book was personal. His dad was a successful pilot, a doctor who put a spin on house calls – he literally flew to your front door. And when he wasn’t delivering medical service by air he was setting world distance records, none of which saved him from a flight accident that claimed his life and left his 17 year old son without a father.
Nixon’s childhood days were spent with his dad in his hangar helping him clean planes, do odd jobs. Frequently there were other pilots around and they’d get to talking, swapping stories. He remembers one incident about a family that went down during a nasty storm, crashing in a remote wilderness area. The pilot skillfully maneuvered the crash, sparing their lives. It was a cursed blessing. No one found them while they were alive. The mother and daughter died a slow death of starvation over two long months and the dad perished while trudging through waist high snow, trying to find help. That tale stuck with the young Nixon and as an adult he searched everywhere for information about this crash. After years of digging he finally pieced it together and learned of the fatal accident responsible for the deaths of Alvin F. Oien, Sr., his wife Phyllis and step-daughter, Carla.
Like many before them the Oien family died needlessly. The search and rescue mission failed them. Nixon spends considerable time reviewing the failed search efforts. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) invested significant resources in their attempt to locate the missing plane: “the CAP flew 415 sorties with 45 planes, involving 165 people.” Al Jr., a Delta commercial airline pilot, labored thousands of hours, fruitlessly searching for his dad’s downed plane – all futile exercises. Never mind the skilled personnel conducting the search. Forget about scrupulously flying over each parcel of indexed land – they could not see the plane. It was obscured by snow, heavy brush, blending into the landscape. The absence of laws requiring devices similar to today’s ELTs (emergency location transmitter), meant most airplanes prior to 1970 did not possess the equipment necessary to save their passenger’s lives.
Apart from the analysis of why the search failed Nixon devotes the heart of his book to the Oien family. The most poignant insights are gleaned from the diaries left behind by Phyllis and Carla. Reading their diary, watching them slowly die, entry by entry, was more than I could handle. I had to close the book and walk away before I could begin reading again. Nixon acknowledges this anguish, but does not shirk from plainly laying it out. He charts their growing desperation; they knew the odds were not in their favor. They did not know why it was difficult to find them – they’d done everything by the book, followed all of the protocols that should have created their safety net. Al Sr. committed only one error and it was critical. He either forgot or consciously chose not to take his survival kit which contained medical supplies, extra food, and a hunting rifle. Regardless, he filed the flight plans, stuck as close to the route as possible and somehow managed to land the plane in the rugged mountains without killing everyone. Yet, despite taking those safety precautions, it was not enough. Abandoned, they struggled as best they could to remain alive, although deep down they knew time was not on their side and that unless a miracle occurred, they would all die.
Though many were saved as a result of their demise, family members and friends spared the ordeal of the Oien family, it still does not remove the sting of their death, nor does it erase the memory of the prolonged suffering they endured. Some solace can be taken, because their heart-wrenching deaths gave Senator Pete Dominick from Colorado the ammunition he needed to introduce and pass the legislation that became known as Carla’s Law and that made ELTs mandatory equipment in all planes. Phyllis and Carla did not die in vain.
Originally printed in Anchorage Press on July 18, 2016.
Oft times, tragedies spur great leaps forward. Ross Nixon notes that in his preface citing “the Lindberg law, the Adam Walsh Child Protection Law and Kristen’s Law” as examples of important, meaningful legislation born at the door of calamity. Finding Carla is just such a story of how a tragic air accident which terminated the lives of Carla and her mother and step-father proved the genesis for legislation that has since saved thousands of others.
Nixon’s motivation for writing this book was personal. His dad was a successful pilot, a doctor who put a spin on house calls – he literally flew to your front door. And when he wasn’t delivering medical service by air he was setting world distance records, none of which saved him from a flight accident that claimed his life and left his 17 year old son without a father.
Nixon’s childhood days were spent with his dad in his hangar helping him clean planes, do odd jobs. Frequently there were other pilots around and they’d get to talking, swapping stories. He remembers one incident about a family that went down during a nasty storm, crashing in a remote wilderness area. The pilot skillfully maneuvered the crash, sparing their lives. It was a cursed blessing. No one found them while they were alive. The mother and daughter died a slow death of starvation over two long months and the dad perished while trudging through waist high snow, trying to find help. That tale stuck with the young Nixon and as an adult he searched everywhere for information about this crash. After years of digging he finally pieced it together and learned of the fatal accident responsible for the deaths of Alvin F. Oien, Sr., his wife Phyllis and step-daughter, Carla.
Like many before them the Oien family died needlessly. The search and rescue mission failed them. Nixon spends considerable time reviewing the failed search efforts. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) invested significant resources in their attempt to locate the missing plane: “the CAP flew 415 sorties with 45 planes, involving 165 people.” Al Jr., a Delta commercial airline pilot, labored thousands of hours, fruitlessly searching for his dad’s downed plane – all futile exercises. Never mind the skilled personnel conducting the search. Forget about scrupulously flying over each parcel of indexed land – they could not see the plane. It was obscured by snow, heavy brush, blending into the landscape. The absence of laws requiring devices similar to today’s ELTs (emergency location transmitter), meant most airplanes prior to 1970 did not possess the equipment necessary to save their passenger’s lives.
Apart from the analysis of why the search failed Nixon devotes the heart of his book to the Oien family. The most poignant insights are gleaned from the diaries left behind by Phyllis and Carla. Reading their diary, watching them slowly die, entry by entry, was more than I could handle. I had to close the book and walk away before I could begin reading again. Nixon acknowledges this anguish, but does not shirk from plainly laying it out. He charts their growing desperation; they knew the odds were not in their favor. They did not know why it was difficult to find them – they’d done everything by the book, followed all of the protocols that should have created their safety net. Al Sr. committed only one error and it was critical. He either forgot or consciously chose not to take his survival kit which contained medical supplies, extra food, and a hunting rifle. Regardless, he filed the flight plans, stuck as close to the route as possible and somehow managed to land the plane in the rugged mountains without killing everyone. Yet, despite taking those safety precautions, it was not enough. Abandoned, they struggled as best they could to remain alive, although deep down they knew time was not on their side and that unless a miracle occurred, they would all die.
Though many were saved as a result of their demise, family members and friends spared the ordeal of the Oien family, it still does not remove the sting of their death, nor does it erase the memory of the prolonged suffering they endured. Some solace can be taken, because their heart-wrenching deaths gave Senator Pete Dominick from Colorado the ammunition he needed to introduce and pass the legislation that became known as Carla’s Law and that made ELTs mandatory equipment in all planes. Phyllis and Carla did not die in vain.
Originally printed in Anchorage Press on July 18, 2016.
July 11, 2016
A gripping tale of a lost airplane and life in the Northern California mountains by an experienced Alaskan Bush pilot who dedicated years of research. this is something everyone who has flown small planes over rugged country should read about an accident that helped change aviation practices everywhere. Kudos to Ross Nixon as a first time author who shows a deft hand in following a story that might be lost but for his efforts.
January 12, 2018
I have worked and am friends with the author, Ross Nixon. This was a really great book, and a very interesting read for those into aviation history and those who may not know anything about aviation. Nixon does a great job of explaining in layman's terms all about aircraft, and flying in general. This story is fascinating and sad at the same time. however this is how many new rules and laws are enacted in aviation, because of fatal and tragic accidents. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in aviation and how some rules and requirements begin in the aviation industry. I'm hoping the author writes again, and leads us into another story about aviation.
The only criticism I have is that some phrases and ideas are repeated in a chapter or two after you've just read about it. Something that doesn't necessarily need to happen. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book!
The only criticism I have is that some phrases and ideas are repeated in a chapter or two after you've just read about it. Something that doesn't necessarily need to happen. Overall, I very much enjoyed this book!
March 17, 2025
A haunting and meticulously researched account of a heartbreaking aviation tragedy that led to life-saving change. I've flown single-engine aircraft built in the 60s and encountered unexpected weather. It's more frightening than any experience I had flying through Iraq or Afghanistan! This read will up your heartrate!
Through survivor letters, diary entries, and archival photos, author and pilot Ross Nixon reconstructs the harrowing ordeal of the Oien family, whose small plane vanished in the rugged Trinity Mountains of California in 1967. More than just a story of loss, Finding Carla describes a pivotal moment in aviation history: the time before emergency locator transmitters were required and "downed aircraft" was completely different than "found" aircraft, and the regulations of today that, thanks to this tragedy, have since saved countless lives.
Through survivor letters, diary entries, and archival photos, author and pilot Ross Nixon reconstructs the harrowing ordeal of the Oien family, whose small plane vanished in the rugged Trinity Mountains of California in 1967. More than just a story of loss, Finding Carla describes a pivotal moment in aviation history: the time before emergency locator transmitters were required and "downed aircraft" was completely different than "found" aircraft, and the regulations of today that, thanks to this tragedy, have since saved countless lives.
June 7, 2024
The story of the 1967 wreck will wreck you. The fact that it led to reforms in aviation safety standards was very encouraging. And the links the author made with his own life and experiences personalized the story.
The writing was very good with well-documented sources. But there were some repeated concepts from one chapter to another as though each chapter had been written independently - could have benefited from some editing.
The writing was very good with well-documented sources. But there were some repeated concepts from one chapter to another as though each chapter had been written independently - could have benefited from some editing.
January 22, 2022
This was a whirlwind. The diary and the stories of what the survivors went through were of course the most interesting part. What happened after the whole incident, in legislation, really speaks to the family's legacy. There are pictures of the family at the end, really made it all even more real. Flip back to those before you are done reading.
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November 23, 2025When ELTs became a requirement, pilots complained that they didn't need it - they weren't going to crash. And false alarms cause disruptions. But the tragic story of surviving a crash, but dying when Search and Rescue failed, shows ELTs can save lives.
December 1, 2018
Very interesting and compelling story. I think it could have been a great long magazine article versus a book.
July 22, 2024
2.5 stars. Crazy story and very well researched but a little too much info not necessary to the story
February 13, 2017
incredible story
September 20, 2016
The author shares the results of an exhaustive study into the disappearance and eventual discovery of a family. I am thankful that the government acted upon this sad story and requires ELT presence in every private plane in the country.
The story is haunting and terrifying in the fact that the people survived the crash only to die of starvation seven weeks later. It is not a spoiler to state this, but as it unfolds the horror of their situation plays out and ends badly.
Ross describes in painful detail what happened and The failure of the search and rescue system. Next time I am tempted to complain about the cost of batteries in my ELT I will remember Carla.
The story is haunting and terrifying in the fact that the people survived the crash only to die of starvation seven weeks later. It is not a spoiler to state this, but as it unfolds the horror of their situation plays out and ends badly.
Ross describes in painful detail what happened and The failure of the search and rescue system. Next time I am tempted to complain about the cost of batteries in my ELT I will remember Carla.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews