April 15, 1978: CAP Assists in Search of Famed Aerial Stuntman Frank Tallman

On this date in 1978, the California Civil Air Patrol assisted other rescuers in attempting to locate the crash of famed Hollywood aerial stuntman Frank Tallman, who died in a crash in Orange County, California.

An excerpt from Notable California Air Disasters:

Details and Probable Cause:   Famed stunt pilot Frank Tallman was killed two days shy of his 59th birthday when his twin-engine Piper PA-23 Aztec (N5641Y) crashed near the top of the 3,500-foot Bell Ridge in the Santa Ana Mountains of rural Orange County during a rainstorm.   The acclaimed flier had taken off from Santa Monica Municipal Airport and was ferrying the aircraft to Phoenix, Arizona.

The nearest weather station to the crash site was reporting a 600-foot overcast and heavy rain at the time of the accident.   Tallman was flying VFR (visual flight rules) in what the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) deemed were IFR (instrument flight rules) conditions.


Orange County sheriff’s deputies located the wreckage of the plane near Santiago Peak in the Cleveland National Forest at about 7:00 a.m. the following morning, April 16.   An extensive search had been initiated by deputies, Orange County fire personnel, the Civil Air Patrol and a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter after several ground stations in the region had picked up an emergency radio signal around midnight.   Tallman, who was flying alone, was found dead in the cockpit, still secured by his seatbelt.   The aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter was still sending out signals.

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