New info on Paul Mantz and The Flight of the Phoenix

[aerovin]

I recently reviewed archive files held by the Los Angeles Superior Court regarding two lawsuits filed as a result of the accident during the filming of Flight of the Phoenix that killed Paul Mantz on July 8, 1965. There was much new information held by several documents in that file, particularly a chronology written by Paul Mantz's long time secretary, Martha Marchak, who was very involved in the preparations of the airplane and was on hand at Yuma, Arizona, during the filming. I have updated the The Last Flight of the Phoenix page at http://www.aerovintage.com/phoenix.htm so anyone interested in that incident might want to read the updated account.

Martha Marchak, by the way, later became VP of Tallmantz Aviation and was married to Frank Pine in later years. She is also the sister of Ruth Marchak, who married Frank Tallman.

[JDK]

Good bit of research, there, thanks for your efforts.

Can you summarise any revisions to the 'accepted' story from this new affidavit?

[ZeamerB17]

Is Martha Marchak still living?

Dave

[tom d. friedman]

excellent comprehensive info!!! were any of the film's actors present at the tragic crash to witness it?? namely stewart, attenbourough, borgnine or kruger???

[aerovin]

None of the actors were present on the day of the accident. The first unit had departed the prior week and were in Hollywood doing filming on a studio set (interior C-82 shots and the night scenes).

Martha Marchak Pine and Ruth Marchak Tallman may be living in the Temecula area of Southern California. I tried to contact them several years ago and got no response to my letters. I presume they want to be left alone. I would think they would be in their eighties or older.

The chronology mainly filled in all the details about Mantz testing the airplane and the numerous problems he had with it. Some of the suppositions made about the events leading up to July 8th made earlier by me and others were wrong...such as the plans to fly the airplane at Orange County before going to Yuma (yes) and that Tallmantz was at least two weeks late in getting the airplane to Yuma, applying a great deal of pressure on Mantz to fly the airplane. Also, the basic unairworthiness of the Phoenix comes out clearly. Mantz had long been in the business of flying marginal airplane or crashing good ones, though.

[retroaviation]

Wally McDonald, who supposedly finished up the flying scenes for the movie after Mantz was killed, told us that the airplane flew so poorly that Mr. Mantz had used the lap portion of the seat belt to put around the stick and hold it back, as sort of a trim mechanism. That is apparently why Mr. Mantz was ejected from the aircraft and the stunt man in the front survived (because his belt was fastened securely).

Eiter way, it was a sad day.

Gary

[aerovin]

I wouldn't be surprised if Mantz had to use his seat belt that way, based on his efforts to control the nose-down tendency. I think, though, that both Mantz and Rose were ejected, Rose going out first and being missed by the tumbling airplane.

[retroaviation]

I wouldn't be surprised if Mantz had to use his seat belt that way, based on his efforts to control the nose-down tendency. I think, though, that both Mantz and Rose were ejected, Rose going out first and being missed by the tumbling airplane.

Roger that. I was just going by what Wally had told us. Thanks for all of your info.

Gary