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Feb 15, 1991
SANTA PAULA, Calif. (AP) _ Actor Kirk Douglas nursed cuts and bruises Thursday but cartoon voice artist Noel Blanc was in critical condition as investigators tried to unravel how their helicopter crashed with an airplane.
The single-engine aerobatic plane burned after the collision Wednesday. A veteran airline captain in the stunt plane was killed along with a student.
Blanc, 52, son of the late Mel Blanc, was in critical but stable condition at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, nursing supervisor Cecelia Moore said. Blanc suered a fractured leg, broken ribs, a bruised kidney and a ruptured lung. He was using a breathing machine.
Douglas, 74, was listed in fair condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, spokesman Ron Wise said. The actor, who wears a heart pacemaker, suffered a scalp cut, scrapes and bruises.
″Neither of them have much recollection of what happened after the liftoff,″ said Eric Douglas, a son of the actor.
Beverly Hills police Officer Michael Carra, who was in the helicopter with Douglas and Blanc, was treated for bruises Wednesday night and released.
The helicopter and plane collided about 40 feet above ground shortly after both aircraft took off.
Blanc was piloting the helicopter, the younger Douglas said Thursday in Los Angeles. Previously, he had said Carra was the helicopter pilot.
Douglas expects to be released during the weekend, his son said.
Also Thursday, National Transportation Safety Board investigators had an identical airplane re-enact the plane’s takeoff at Santa Paula Airport. The pilot, Bret Ebaugh, reported there was no forward visibility from the cockpit of the high-nosed aircraft during takeoff.
″Once you apply the power and you’re lined up with the runway, you’re blind,″ said Ebaugh, a pilot who works for CP Aviation at the small airport. NTSB investigator Thomas Wilcox said witnesses report both aircraft took off at the same time. Then the Bell 206 Long-Ranger helicopter, which had been flying parallel to the Pitts Special stunt plane, flew across the runway.
Santa Paula Police Chief Walt Adair said helicopters normally take off to the south, instead of heading north across the runway.
″The (airplane) pilot was taking off when the helicopter crossed the runway to the north,″ Adair said. It was ″making a non-standard departure. The departure should have been south of the runway.″
The airport in Santa Paula, which is about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, has no control tower. The helicopter was leaving for Santa Monica, a seaside city near Los Angeles when the collision occurred, Douglas’ son said.
Wilcox said uncontrolled airports have general operating rules but no defined regulations. He compared guidelines to a traffic intersection’s right- of-way rules.
″Pilots are required to monitor the (airport) radio frequency and announce their intentions,″ he said, noting that several radio operators monitor the frequency at the field but he had yet to interview them.
The dead were identified as Lee Manelski, 46, of Santa Paula and David Tomlinson, 18, of Thousand Oaks, the Ventura County coroner’s office said.
Manelski was a 22-year TWA airline captain and veteran member of the U.S. aerobatic team. Tomlinson was a high school student with a pilot’s license who was being trained in aerobatic flying.
A three-time Oscar nominee, Douglas has appeared in 75 films, produced a dozen, directed one and appeared in nine plays. Born Issur Danielovitch, Douglas’ film credits include ″Lust for Life″ and ″Spartacus.″
Douglas also wrote two bestselling books in recent years, an autobiography, ″The Ragman’s Son,″ and a novel, ″Dance With the Devil.″
Mel Blanc supplied the voice for Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny and other Warner Bros. Looney Tunes-Merrie Melodies animated characters. Noel Blanc took over the job after his father died in 1989 at age 81.
Feb 15, 1991
SANTA PAULA, Calif. (AP) _ Actor Kirk Douglas nursed cuts and bruises Thursday but cartoon voice artist Noel Blanc was in critical condition as investigators tried to unravel how their helicopter crashed with an airplane.
The single-engine aerobatic plane burned after the collision Wednesday. A veteran airline captain in the stunt plane was killed along with a student.
Blanc, 52, son of the late Mel Blanc, was in critical but stable condition at Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, nursing supervisor Cecelia Moore said. Blanc suered a fractured leg, broken ribs, a bruised kidney and a ruptured lung. He was using a breathing machine.
Douglas, 74, was listed in fair condition at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, spokesman Ron Wise said. The actor, who wears a heart pacemaker, suffered a scalp cut, scrapes and bruises.
″Neither of them have much recollection of what happened after the liftoff,″ said Eric Douglas, a son of the actor.
Beverly Hills police Officer Michael Carra, who was in the helicopter with Douglas and Blanc, was treated for bruises Wednesday night and released.
The helicopter and plane collided about 40 feet above ground shortly after both aircraft took off.
Blanc was piloting the helicopter, the younger Douglas said Thursday in Los Angeles. Previously, he had said Carra was the helicopter pilot.
Douglas expects to be released during the weekend, his son said.
Also Thursday, National Transportation Safety Board investigators had an identical airplane re-enact the plane’s takeoff at Santa Paula Airport. The pilot, Bret Ebaugh, reported there was no forward visibility from the cockpit of the high-nosed aircraft during takeoff.
″Once you apply the power and you’re lined up with the runway, you’re blind,″ said Ebaugh, a pilot who works for CP Aviation at the small airport. NTSB investigator Thomas Wilcox said witnesses report both aircraft took off at the same time. Then the Bell 206 Long-Ranger helicopter, which had been flying parallel to the Pitts Special stunt plane, flew across the runway.
Santa Paula Police Chief Walt Adair said helicopters normally take off to the south, instead of heading north across the runway.
″The (airplane) pilot was taking off when the helicopter crossed the runway to the north,″ Adair said. It was ″making a non-standard departure. The departure should have been south of the runway.″
The airport in Santa Paula, which is about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles, has no control tower. The helicopter was leaving for Santa Monica, a seaside city near Los Angeles when the collision occurred, Douglas’ son said.
Wilcox said uncontrolled airports have general operating rules but no defined regulations. He compared guidelines to a traffic intersection’s right- of-way rules.
″Pilots are required to monitor the (airport) radio frequency and announce their intentions,″ he said, noting that several radio operators monitor the frequency at the field but he had yet to interview them.
The dead were identified as Lee Manelski, 46, of Santa Paula and David Tomlinson, 18, of Thousand Oaks, the Ventura County coroner’s office said.
Manelski was a 22-year TWA airline captain and veteran member of the U.S. aerobatic team. Tomlinson was a high school student with a pilot’s license who was being trained in aerobatic flying.
A three-time Oscar nominee, Douglas has appeared in 75 films, produced a dozen, directed one and appeared in nine plays. Born Issur Danielovitch, Douglas’ film credits include ″Lust for Life″ and ″Spartacus.″
Douglas also wrote two bestselling books in recent years, an autobiography, ″The Ragman’s Son,″ and a novel, ″Dance With the Devil.″
Mel Blanc supplied the voice for Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Bugs Bunny and other Warner Bros. Looney Tunes-Merrie Melodies animated characters. Noel Blanc took over the job after his father died in 1989 at age 81.
