Finding Carla : An ELT Story

"In March of 1967, single-engine private pilot Alvin Oien, Sr. crashed his Cessna 195 in the mountains of Northern California, with passengers Phyllis (his wife) and Carla (his stepdaughter) after he hit unexpectedly worsening weather with fast ice-buildup on his wings. They all survived the crash due to Al's skillful and lucky handling but the icing caused him to spin out of control and fly far off course. He hard-landed near the summit of a remote mountain peak and the three of them were badly injured. Before 1968, there was no thought of any requirement for airplanes to contain emergency locator transmitters. Because of the multiple negative factors of the blizzard conditions, incredibly rough terrain and zero visibility, the search and rescue efforts failed as there was no 'ELT' onboard to pinpoint them. The ELT Beacon law, finally signed into the regulations in 1970 as a rider to the OSHA bill, could well be called Carla's Law. When the details of the 'Carla Corbus accident'--the story told in this book--made headline news when they were finally found 6 months later, along with a 'diary' that Phyllis and Carla kept (which was transcribed in part and published months after that), it was the shock that broke all political resistance to making such a law. This is a flying story as well as a life story. In retelling it, the hope is that the messages of this book spread through the aviation world and beyond, cause people to think about what is important in flying and life. The Oien Family's sacrifice in this needs to be remembered...in this story"--Provided by publisher.