Nevada

Deadliest plane crashes that shaped Nevada’s history and what caused them

Published

9 months ago

January 30, 2025

Deadliest plane crashes that shaped Nevada’s history and what caused them

On Wednesday, an American Airlines passenger plane and U.S. Army helicopter collided over the Potomac in Washington, D.C. Officials have said there are no survivors among the 67 people on both crafts, making it the deadliest U.S. air crash in the last 25 years.

In Nevada, the deadliest plane crash was in 1964. A four-engine Constellation operated by California’s Paradise Airlines traveling from Oakland crashed in a mountain near Lake Tahoe after two failed attempts to land at the nearby airport.

Here’s a look at notable plane crashes in Nevada history:

Jan. 16, 1942: TWA Flight 3

Hollywood star Carole Lombard, wife of Clark Gable, was on board TWA Flight 3, which crashed shortly after taking off from McCarran Field in Las Vegas.

The crash killed Lombard and 21 other people when the plane crashed into Potosi Mountain southwest of what is now the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

The beacon that could have prevented a collision with the mountainside was turned off because of fears that Japanese warplanes would be poised to attack the Western U.S. during WWII.

Nov. 17, 1955: C-54 crash at Mt. Charleston

During a raging storm in the Spring Mountains near Las Vegas, a U.S. Air Force C-54 was making a routine trip from Burbank, California, to Area 51 in Southern Nevada, where the military was working on the U-2 plane.

Because of the secrecy around the military base, the C-54 crew were never in contact with air traffic control. The plane took a new route that would cut 10 minutes off the total flight time, but was blown off course by the storm.

The plane failed to clear Mt. Charleston by just 50 feet. All 14 crew members aboard died.

Because of the secrecy around Area 51 and the Cold War at the time, the crash and its victims were largely hidden for decades, even from the victims’ families.

A 1998 investigation by hiker Steven Ririe gave closure to families when he confirmed the victims’ deaths and cause. Ririe also brought the investigation to lawmakers, which led to the first national Cold War veterans memorial. The memorial is now at the crash site atop Mt. Charleston.

April 21, 1958: United Air Lines Flight 736

More than five decades ago, a fighter jet from Nellis Airforce Base collided with a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles 21,000 feet above the valley southwest of Las Vegas. It killed the two men aboard the fighter jet and the 47 people on the airline.

The crash occurred when the Air Force student pilot was practicing a maneuver that involved climbing to 28,000 feet and diving almost vertical to “simulate a rapid insertion into enemy airspace.”

The accident became a national example of a need for further air travel precautions in the U.S. and was mentioned specifically by then-President Dwight Eisenhower when signing the Federal Aviation Act, which ordered the creation of what is now the Federal Aviation Administration and many modern flight safety measures.

It is also one of the reasons that military flight practice is no longer permitted above cities or commercial corridors.

March 1, 1964: Paradise Airlines Flight 901A

More than 60 years ago, passengers boarded California’s Paradise Airlines Flight 901A in Oakland for what would be the deadliest flight in Nevada history. The plane made plans to stop in Salinas and San Jose, California, before arriving at the airport in Lake Tahoe. However, after failing to land at Lake Tahoe because of low visibility due to a snow storm, the pilot decided to change course and attempt to land in Reno.

The low visibility coupled with a malfunctioning compass caused the plane to crash into a mountainside one mile south of Genoa Peak in Nevada. Reports say if the plane was 100 feet higher, it would have cleared the pass.

There were no survivors. The 85 people aboard the plane were not found in the snow until the next morning.

Nov. 15, 1964: Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114

A misinterpretation of the approach chart by the plane’s captain likely led to a premature descent during a storm near Las Vegas, which led to Flight 114 crashing. The crash killed all 29 people aboard the passenger aircraft.

That year was the deadliest for Nevada air travel, with 116 fatalities. In addition to the Paradise and Bonanza airline crashes, another accident at Austin on Aug. 26, 1964, killed two forest service staff while they were agricultural spraying.

Aug. 30, 1978: Las Vegas Airlines Flight 44

Las Vegas Airlines Flight 44 crashed during takeoff in a field near what is now Rancho Drive and Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas. The plane was headed for Santa Ana, California, but hit the ground 1,000 feet from the end of the runway.

The crash happened because of a malfunction with a bolt that caused the pilot to be unable to stop the plane from flying nose-up and stalling, reported the Las Vegas Review Journal. All 10 people aboard the plane died.

Jan. 21,1985: Galaxy Airline Flight 203

On Jan. 21, 1985, Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 crashed into a Reno field at South Virginia Street and Neil Road just after takeoff at 1 a.m. The charter flight was carrying football fans returning to Minneapolis after the Super Bowl in Stanford, California, with 71 passengers and crew on board. Only one person, 17-year-old George Lamson Jr., survived the crash.

The plane went down when the pilot, Allen Heasley, reacted incorrectly to a vibration by ordering an engine power reduction.

Galaxy Grove, a memorial tribute to the passengers and crew of Galaxy Flight 203, was dedicated at Rancho San Rafael Park in 1986 and features a bronze plaque among a grove of pine trees.

Jan. 21 ,1985: Steve Fossett plane crash

Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett’s plane went missing over the Great Basin desert on Sept. 3, 2007.

Fossett, 63, famed for his solo flights around the world in planes and hot air balloons, departed alone in a single-engine, two-seat aerobatic plane about 9 a.m., from a private airstrip on a ranch near Yerington owned by hotel mogul Barron Hilton. He failed to return as scheduled a couple of hours later.

A 7,500-square-mile search went on for several days from Minden-Tahoe Airport in Douglas County, with as many as 14 aircraft from the Civil Air Patrol, the Nevada Air National Guard and Fallon Naval Air Station between Yerington and Bishop, California, all on duty.

Fossett’s plane was not found until a year later on Sept. 29, 2008, by two hikers exploring the area. The likely cause of the crash was “the pilot’s inadvertent encounter with downdrafts that exceeded the climb capability of the airplane,” the National Transportation Safety Board said.

Sept. 16, 2011: P-51 Mustang crashes into crowd at Reno Air Races

Eleven people were killed during the 2011 National Championship Air Races in Reno when Galloping Ghost, a highly modified WWII P-51 Mustang piloted by Jimmy Leeward, nosed-dived into the ground where spectators were sitting. At least 65 more people were seriously injured, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation, though other accounts report more.

“It was a war zone,” Linda Elvin, a survivor who lost her leg in the accident, told the RGJ in 2016.

The 2011 Reno air races crash is deadliest accident at the air races. In addition to Leeward and the spectators, 22 pilots and a wing-walker died in accidents at the air races since the 1970s.

July 17, 2022: Two planes collide at North Las Vegas airport

Donald Goldberg and Carol Ann Scanlon, who were flying a Piper PA-46, were completing a flight when they collided with flight instructor Anthony Chiaramonti and flight student Zachary Rainey above the North Las Vegas Airport in 2022. Chiaramonti and Rainey were conducting takeoffs and landings in a single-engine Cessna at the time.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation determined the crash was likely caused because of the Piper pilot’s “failure to ensure that the airplane was aligned with the correct runway,” reported KTNV. Air traffic control also likely failed to provide timely traffic information to either airplane or recognize the developing conflict which resulted in the tragedy.

Feb. 24, 2023: Care flight crash

A Pilatus PC-12 plane managed by Washoe’s Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority broke apart mid-flight outside Reno during a snow storm on Feb. 24 before crashing near Stagecoach. Five people died in the Care Flight that was on its way to transport a patient to Salt Lake City.

The crash was the fourth National Transportation Safety Board investigation involving a Guardian Flight-owned plane from 2018 to 2023, three of which were fatal and led to 11 deaths.

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Nevada

Miss Nevada USA Mary Sickler, Who Has Alopecia, Ditches Wig in Powerful Onstage Moment

Published

7 hours ago

October 23, 2025

Press Room

Miss Nevada USA Mary Sickler, Who Has Alopecia, Ditches Wig in Powerful Onstage Moment

It was more than just Mary Sickler‘s gown that was sparkling onstage.

As the current Miss Nevada USA took the stage at the Miss USA preliminaries Oct. 22, she decided to leave her chocolate brown wig backstage for the evening wear portion of the competition.

While Mary—who was diagnosed with alopecia universalis in December 2024—first stepped out in a red bikini and a brunette wig for the swimsuit round, she decided to embrace her baldness for her final look.

Indeed, she dazzled in a jewel-encrusted headpiece that matched her blue and silver form-fitting gown. She completed the look with sparkling teardrop earrings and a smoky makeup look.

Following the powerful onstage moment, the 22-year-old—who was crowned Miss Nevada USA in July—reflected on being the first woman with alopecia to compete in the national beauty pageant.

“This dream has been so many years in the making, and to finally step into this moment feels surreal,” she wrote on Instagram Oct. 22. “I never imagined I would walk that stage in this way, but I always hoped I would do it with confidence, authenticity, and grace.”

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Nevada

Why not incentivize housing instead of Hollywood? | Pat Hickey

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2025

Press Room

Why not incentivize housing instead of Hollywood? | Pat Hickey

Pat Hickey
| Memo from the Middle

Recently, two headlines caught my eye. The first: Nevada plans to roll out the Hollywood red carpet with public tax breaks for private studio companies — Sony Pictures and Warner Bros. The other: The University of Nevada, Reno plans a new 400-unit public-private apartment complex near campus for faculty, staff and students.

Both proposals utilize tax-credit financing to incentivize businesses to meet Nevada’s needs.

To my mind, if it becomes a question of what is our most pressing priority, I would pick an affordable supply of homes for our Nevada towns over the lure of Tinseltown coming to our southern desert.

When I think of the future of a Nevada film industry, I don’t see it becoming a blockbuster. Gone is the glamour and dream-like entity that once was embodied by Hollywood. A successful sequel to the magic of movie-making success seems unlikely — whether it’s located in Studio City, California, or Summerlin, Nevada.

The curtain appears have come down on that once glorious period. Like the end of the the Old South’s saga in Hollywood’s “Gone with the Wind,” a bygone era of mystique and dominance is likely no more.

The slow death of cinemas

Hollywood was once the symbol of creative genius. Movies served as the vehicle for global storytelling. It was the place where human’s dreams were brought to life. Films in local movie theaters were once the crown jewel of the film industry. It’s hardly the case these days.

For me, it’s partly because the two cinemas where Shin and I used to spend Friday nights — dinner and a movie — are now shuttered. Reno’s downtown Riverside Theatre and Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Cinema have both closed amid declining ticket sales, increased competition from streaming services and changing consumer habits, such as favoring movies at home. More than 1,000 U.S. theater screens have closed since 2019, and total box-office revenue remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

Hollywood’s demise has a lot to do with what has appeared on movie screens in recent times. Instead of creative, bigger-than-life sagas of the human spirit in all its varied forms — in war, peace, romance and even crime — today’s Hollywood films typically rely upon remakes, sequels and prequels of past glories, computer-generated comic book super heroes extravaganzas or horror flicks designed to frighten, or simply disgust. Call me old-fashioned. The fact is, this once avid filmgoer has become just plain disinterested. Many of my younger friends seem much the same, for their own reasons.

Even famed Oscar-winning Hollywood film director Martin Scorsese has soured on all the comic book super-hero types now frequently served-up by today’s bottom-line studios. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Scorsese says, “Superhero movies are “not cinema,” comparing them to theme parks rather than the art form of human emotion and psychological experience. He argues that they prioritize spectacle and commercial interests over artistic expression and that Hollywood’s financial dominance by these “franchise pictures” is pushing other types of films to the margins. The Oscar-winning director went on to say: “Theaters have become amusement parks.”

The last time I checked — some of those theme parks are closing as well.

Is a Nevada film industry a good investment?

In a recent Wall Street Journal story titled “L.A.’s Entertainment Economy Is Looking Like a Disaster Movie,” the newspaper reports: “The entertainment industry is in a downward spiral… Work is evaporating, businesses are closing, longtime residents are leaving and the heart of L.A.’s creative middle class is hanging on by a thread. Hollywood’s downturn has rippled through the region’s economy.”

Which is why some Nevadans believe luring struggling Hollywood film studios here could be a wise pursuit. As reported by The Nevada Independent, a PAC funded with $1 million by a coalition of building trades unions is preparing “to spend big to shape public and legislative opinion to pave the way for film tax legislation” if a special session is convened by the governor.

Incentives to motivate companies to relocate to Nevada have always been a tax tool in the state’s arsenal. A low-tax, limited-regulatory business environment has benefitted Nevada’s growth spurts throughout its history.

Transferable tax credits were a device to bring the Teslas of the world to Nevada. Acting like coupons that could be sold to other companies to help offset a company’s initial investment, they’ve worked effectively to attract major new industries and sports franchises to Nevada — even though libertarian organizations like the Nevada Policy Research Institute have consistently opposed having government “pick winners and losers.” Pick we did in the case of Tesla, and overall, I believe Nevada ended up a winner with the electric-vehicle company that helped usher the state into the era of advanced manufacturing.

I’m not so sure bringing Hollywood studios here would yield the same return on investment. Beyond the turmoil in California’s film industry, other states — such as New York and Georgia, with far larger economies and infrastructure, and nearby New Mexico and Utah — are already far ahead of Nevada in attracting films to be made outside of Hollywood.

While I support the livelihoods of construction workers — whose well-being is tied to the state’s overall health and the ancillary benefits of growth and development — I believe there are more pressing needs and far better opportunities for Nevada than becoming another annex for an on-the-ropes Hollywood.

Why not incentivize housing instead of Hollywood?

Two times, movie studio executives have tried to pass legislation to expand Nevada’s film tax credit program. They hope a Special Session, expected to be called soon, may be their third-time charm.

Should the public, through its elected representatives from both political parties, fail to get on board with the latest “central casting” call from Hollywood executives, I’d recommend another way to get creative.

Like UNR just did.

The national housing crisis manifests in many forms, but most impactful is the severe shortage of affordable housing units. State and local municipalities are increasingly taking action to build and preserve affordable housing. Localities can deploy a wide range of tools and investments: tax abatements and exemptions, tax increment financing, payments in lieu of taxes, public land contributions, low-interest rate loans, voucher deployment and more.

Instead of $1.4 billion over the next 15 years in tax credits for a film studio complex and related businesses, why not use those potential transferable tax credits as an economic development tool to help finance and provide a source of equity to fund construction of housing or rehabilitation for affordable housing for key segments of the economy, such as teachers, medical professionals and seniors. Large industrial partners like Tesla could be incentivized or make good on the “housing and infrastructure” promise Elon Musk made to the region and his own employees.

Better we do things for Nevadans who are already here than for those we hope to migrate here from Los Angeles.

Legendary Hollywood filmmaker Frank Capra (“It’s a Wonderful Life”), once said, “Only the daring should make films. Only the morally courageous are worthy of speaking to their fellow men for two hours, and in the dark”.

Nevada could use a little of that daring and courage. Hollywood may not be the answer. But the housing needs of many of our own families certainly are.

Your thoughts? At: tahoeboy68@gmail.com.

“Memo from the Middle” is an opinion column written by RGJ columnist Pat Hickey, a member of the Nevada Legislature from 1996 to 2016.

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Nevada

New FEC reports reveal Nevada House members’ strength — and challengers who pose a threat – The Nevada Independent

Published

3 days ago

October 21, 2025

Press Room

New FEC reports reveal Nevada House members’ strength — and challengers who pose a threat – The Nevada Independent

Campaign finance documents submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) last week are beginning to reveal what the 2026 midterms will look like in Nevada’s four congressional districts — including the incumbents’ strength, the challengers to watch and the sources of funding voters might want to know about.

What stands out in the October quarterly filings is the sheer number of self-funders taking on Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) and Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) in the 3rd and 4th Districts, respectively. Though these seats look swingy on paper, Republicans have not won either of them in a decade. A nominee who can pour hundreds of thousands of dollars of their own money into ousting the incumbents would take some of the investment pressure off the party apparatus. Several candidates fit the bill.

Of course, for self-funded candidates, high numbers do not indicate broad support. One way to better gauge early interest in candidates is the amount of unitemized donations they report. The FEC requires candidates to itemize donors’ contributions when they exceed $200, so unitemized contributions can be a good proxy for small-dollar donations.

Here’s what we noticed in each district.

Lee has lots of cash — and will need it

Lee posted strong fundraising numbers this quarter, bringing in $612,000 and ending the quarter with $1.7 million total, the most she’s ever had on hand at this point in the election cycle. Her team said that the median contribution was just $11, which signals widespread grassroots support, as does her volume of unitemized donations.

Lee’s fundraising encompasses thousands of dollars from House colleagues, especially members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, and $5,000 from the leadership PAC of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), a possible 2028 presidential contender.

Andreessen Horowitz venture capitalists Ben Horowitz and Chris Dixon contributed as well. Horowitz surprised many when he endorsed President Donald Trump last summer before giving to Vice President Kamala Harris. Dixon this year attended a White House crypto summit and announced a major investment in Kalshi, a prediction market of the sort Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) has criticized. Lee also received $1,000 from travel guide writer Rick Steves.

As one of just 13 Democrats to win a Trump-voting district last year, Lee is considered the state’s most vulnerable Democrat and will likely need money for an expensive campaign. She has attracted the widest field of Republican challengers, and the spendiest.

It includes numerous self-funders, such as neurosurgeon Dr. Aury Nagy, who loaned his campaign $1 million on the last day of the third quarter. That amount was dwarfed by the $3 million video game composer Marty O’Donnell gave his own campaign back in the spring, but O’Donnell only added a little more this quarter, making a $7,000 contribution. Former Las Vegas mayoral candidate Tera Anderson and businessman Joshua Walters are investing thousands in their campaigns as well.

Those aren’t Lee’s only notable opponents. Since she was elected in 2018, Lee has not faced a primary challenger who reported raising any money. Cardiologist Dr. James Lally (D) changed that this month by raising $90,000, including $32,000 in unitemized donations.

His website slams Lee’s “bipartisan approach,” accusing her of voting with MAGA and taking money from casino bosses and lobbyists for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Lee received $5,000 from the committee this quarter and thousands more from gaming industry figures including former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones Blackhurst (D), Shawn Cardinal, Diana Bennett and Yvette Landau. Lally counts political commentator and former congressional candidate Krystal Ball (D-VA) among his donors.

Horsford’s fundraising dips, but he’s still got big money

Horsford is the only Nevada House Democrat who has seen his fundraising fall and his cash on hand drop compared to this point last cycle — he raised a little more than half a million dollars and has $573,000 on hand. The difference might have to do with the fact Horsford is no longer the Congressional Black Caucus chair. But his fundraising this year is still strong, just closer to what it was before.

More than half of his donations came from PACs, including thousands of dollars from House colleagues and Beshear’s PAC. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D), another possible presidential hopeful, donated $7,000. Horsford also received $5,000 from BET Media Group CEO Scott Mills, $2,500 from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, $1,000 from Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom (D), and money from Horowitz and Dixon.

Horsford’s biggest individual spend was a $40,000 list purchase from BCom; such lists can help candidates reach the voters they want to. He spent tens of thousands more paying Sena Kozar Strategies and the Strathdee Group.

The congressman has drawn two Republican challengers who have poured six figures of their own money into their campaigns, small-business owners David Flippo and Cody Whipple. They now trail Horsford in fundraising, but both have gotten support from elected officials, though from different wings of the GOP.

Flippo brought in $191,000 this quarter and has $375,000 on hand, much of which he loaned himself. His website advertises a campaign rally with Nevada GOP Chairman Michael McDonald and former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in Las Vegas this Saturday. He also has endorsements from Reps. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Trent Kelly (R-MS) and former Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC). Jim Chilton, an Arizona rancher who spoke about illegal immigration at the Republican National Convention last year, also donated to his campaign. Flippo has been spending on radio ads on The Steve Sanchez Show and donating to groups such as the Las Vegas Young Republicans, the Republican Jewish Coalition and the Texas-based Latinos for America First.

Whipple raised $55,000 this quarter and has $185,000 after loaning himself $100,000 last quarter. His site boasts endorsements from Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT), former Rep. Cresent Hardy (R-NV) and retired Esmeralda County Sheriff Ken Elgan. The latter two gave to his campaign this quarter. Elgan’s wife, Cindy, a Republican elections clerk who Trump supporters targeted after 2020, gave to the campaign as well, as did the Agricultural Retailers Association PAC and the National Chicken Council PAC.

Titus brings in the medium bucks

Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) is not known for posting gangbuster numbers in non-election years, and the $172,000 she raised this quarter in the 1st District is respectable, if not impressive. What’s more striking is her $610,000 cash on hand, which is the most she’s ever had by October of an off-year.

The bulk of her money, more than $81,000, came from other political committees. Much like her Democratic colleagues, she received money from other House members and from Beshear’s PAC.

Titus has already attracted several challengers, but the standout is state Sen. Carrie Buck (R-Henderson), whose fundraising fell just short of the congresswoman’s with $146,000 raised.

More than a fifth of that sum, $32,000, came from unitemized donations, indicating Buck could see wide support from voters. Former congressional candidate Flemming Larson (R), who lost the 2024 GOP primary in this district, donated the maximum $7,000 allowed to Buck’s campaign. Several real estate and education professionals gave as well.

Amodei sitting pretty

In the safely Republican 2nd District, quarterly fundraising reports show little for Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) to worry about.

He raised $175,000 this quarter and is sitting on a bigger war chest than he’s ever had at this point in the election cycle, $521,000. The two other 2nd District candidates who filed statements of candidacy, Kathy Durham (D) and Heath Fulkerson (R), did not submit quarterly reports.

Amodei received about a third of his money this quarter from PACs, including ones associated with the National Rifle Association to the Environmental Defense Action Fund. One of his donors is Jonathan Evans, president and CEO of Lithium Americas. Amodei has supported the company’s Thacker Pass project as it renegotiated a deal with the federal government this fall.

The congressman’s spending includes $1,000 transfers from his campaign committee to committees for Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) and Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), both of whom announced Senate bids. Amodei also ordered fundraiser supplies in late July from two cigar companies. His campaign has spent money on at least one of the two every year since 2015.

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