6 replies to this topic

[racepace]

On October 4th 1970 a plane carrying Nascar hall of fame driver {and reported by many as being the hardest charger of all time} Curtis Turner and a pro golfer left the DuBois airport and crashed reportedly near Punxsutawney,Pa. Both men were killed. A few of us have inquired some of the old timers we meet from Jefferson County to pinpoint the site and we cant come the same answer twice. One gentleman said he thought it was below Big Run near Rt.119 while another said he thought the crash happened in the area of Ohl or Cool Spring off of Rt.36 with the race track at Knoxdale nearby? Anybody have any knowledge of where it may have happened? Is there a historical marker somewhere like we heard from one source? Nobody said that the location was near Hummingbird Speedway which is also in Jefferson County. Anybody know which township it was? Someone once said Ringold Township as well. Turner owned a lumber operation and was said to have been in the area to purchase some timber at the time. I cant seem to get away to Brookville or Punxy anytime soon to see if they have a historical society to see if they have anything.

[Walt Wimer]

Can't help you on this, but did see Turner race a couple of times back in the 1950s.  He was fantastic on the beach at Daytona and could really flat out slide his car through the old North Turn!!!

 

GOOD RACING!!!!!

 

Walt

[dirtstudent2]

I did a google search of "Where is the location of the Clarence King plane crash" Clarennce King being the golfer who also died and this is what I found.  

 

 

http://aviation-safe...iki.php?id=2777

 

Here is what written about the coordinates:  Written off (damaged beyond repair) 04.10.1970: Crashed at Mahaffey, Clearfield County, PA (at approximate co-ordinates 40°52′33″N 78°43′41″W) on approach to Miller Airport, Burgettstown, PA whilst en route frpm Dubois, PA to Roanoke, VA. Aircraft was making an unplanned immediate emergency landing at Miller Airport due to pilot incapacitation 

 

Doing a Google search on the coordinates this is what I found:  https://www.google.c...ccd187f31838623

 

edit:  Switching to Google Earth, there's a broken down barn in the picture.  Maybe they crashed into the barn destroying it, but that's just conjecture on my part?  If you look at the aviation site, there's also references to newspaper articles about the crash.

 

Hope it helps get you the info your looking for.

Edited by dirtstudent2, 28 January 2016 - 01:03 AM.

[cdm]

I remember my father telling me about this when it happened. He said they crashed in a strip mine near Punxsutawney. I know it was not near Ohl or Coolspring. There is no historical marker for it. There was also was a connection with the Baughman Coal Company, something like the owner had been with them just before the crash. (The owner was a friend of my fathers.) I would like to hear more about this as well.

[racepace]

Mahaffey is near the intersection of 36 and 219.My mother used to go to a church camp there every year. I can see why they said Punxy because it is about the only town with any size to it near there. I think that there is 1 section of 36 right before you get to mahaffey where you go from Jefferson Co. through about 9/10 of a mile through Indiana county and then its Clearfield Co. if I remember correctly. No surprise that there was alcohol involved from some of the lore of Turner. Somebody once said that they should spend all the time that they could with Curtis because " he lives hard and fast and is going to die young" ! I saw an old clip of him in a 56 Ford convertible racing on the sand in Daytona. He had started towards the rear and I believe they said he had passed 27 cars on the first lap. Of course they had started about 60 cars. Must have been something like our modern enduro racing.

Edited by racepace, 28 January 2016 - 04:18 AM.

[racepace]

Thanks everybody for your answers .

[Old511Fan]

The plane crashed near the small village of Coal Glen which is located near the DuBois Jefferson County Airport. Yes it crashed in a coal strip mine just off Stevenson Hill Rd. There is no historical marker defining the site.