by Susan Couso
Dr. John J. Mahoney was a San Francisco dentist who fell in love with a much younger woman. His passion was aimed at Virginia, a secretary for an engineering supply company in the Bay City.
The two fell in love and were married about 1946, but after just a brief time, the May-December romance began to fade. The marriage ended in divorce.
Fortunately, the two seemed to miss each other more than they were irritated with each other, and they renewed their companionship.
A ‘spur-of-the-moment’ decision caused Mahoney and the ex-Mahoney a bit of excitement, drama, and peril. On December 15, 1949, the couple chose to elope. They quickly called a friend, Dr. John Skelly, to be their witness and accompany them to Reno. They then hired a Cessna twin-engine plane from Hennessey Aviation Services at the Oakland Airport.
Thomas Crosby piloted the plane, and he brought along John Macnamee to act as co-pilot. It was a miserable night in Oakland as the little plane left the airport at 12:15 in the morning.
As miserable as the Oakland weather had seemed, the Cessna began to suffer even more as it climbed to clear the peaks near Donner Summit.
The wings began to acquire a cover of ice and as Crosby tried to contact Reno, the radio sputtered and failed. All that the pilots could determine was that Reno was fogged in and without radio contact, a landing was impossible. The last radio transmission from the small plane was at 1:47 A.M.
They veered from their flight path, and with their destination unknown, searched for a better place to land. In Reno, with the aircraft failing to arrive, a search began. The highway patrol and the sheriff’s department were called out to help in the hunt. But the Cessna was nowhere in sight.
Inside the plane, Crosby attempted to assure the passengers that they would be fine, but all five of the plane’s occupants were concerned. The white-out conditions made visibility difficult until Crosby turned north to look for a landing place.
They soon reached Susanville, and the few lights glowing in the dark told them that there was a town below. Crosby buzzed low over the buildings, hoping that someone could help. His fuel was just about depleted, and things were getting a bit tense. He turned the plane and buzzed the small city again, and then again, straining to see the airfield.
In Susanville, Paul Langslet was pretty comfortable in his bed, but the continuing noise of the plane soon cleared his slumber. It was unusual to hear a plane in the night, and this one had something amiss.
Langslet got dressed and went outside to assess the situation. He quickly realized the problem. He went to his car, which had a spotlight on it, and shined the light into the night sky. Then he began driving toward the airport, showing the way with his light.
As Langslet got to the field, he woke Dave Barr. Barr rushed to light the tarmac to show the plane’s pilot where to land.
When Crosby left Oakland, he had four hours of fuel on board. When he got to Susanville’s field, three hours and forty-five minutes had elapsed. It was a ‘close call’ for the wedding party.
With their feet securely reattached to the earth, the travelers rested until morning, and then sped off to Reno to complete their mission. They landed at Sparks Air Park, and Dr. Mahoney later called back to San Francisco with the happy news.
If you are a fan of our weekly history stories you should join the Lassen County Historical Society! It’s a fun way to be a part of our county’s rich history. When you sign up, you’ll receive regular Historical Society newsletters with interesting stories and information. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in area history.
Through your membership you help preserve local history. You can download a membership application by clicking here.
