Haunted Reno '08 - Galaxy Crash Cache Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

RoadRunner: This cache has been disabled for quite some time. I am archiving it to clear the area. If you are able to remedy the situation, please submit a new listing. Please contact me through my profile if you have any questions. Thanks for understanding.

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Hidden : 10/25/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:


On January 20, 1985, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins to win Super Bowl XIX. Early the next morning, 250 miles away in Nevada, a group of revelers boarded Galaxy Flight 203, a Lockheed Electra L-188C at the Reno-Cannon (now Reno-Tahoe) International Airport. 68 passengers were returning to Minnesota after spending the weekend celebrating. 17 year-old George Lamson, Jr. sat next to his father on the four engine turbo-prop plane.

An air cart was required to start the engines on the Electra. The ground handling supervisor made a pre-departure check and took his position to the left front of Flight 203 for the engine start. Normally, he would communicate with the aircraft through a headset. But this night, the headset wasn't working. The flight crew began the before-start checklist. The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) later revealed it was not done correctly. Outside the plane, engines one and four were started, but the ground supervisor had to assist one of the ground handlers having a hard time disconnecting the air start hose. He doesn't remember closing the air start access door. Either does the ground handler.

At 01:02:30, Flight 203 departed runway 16R. At 01:03:45, the first officer requested permission to return to the field due to a heavy vibration. At 01:04:14, the Ground Proximity Warning System sounded. At 01:04:30, Flight 203 crashed just south of what is now Home Depot.
Of the 71 people aboard, three survived the initial impact, but one of them died on January 29 and another on February 4. The lone survivor was then 17-year old George Lamson Jr., who was thrown clear of the aircraft and landed upright, still in his seat, on South Virginia Street.
I was in high school at the time and lived about 2 miles northeast of here, the pilot wanted to circle left to re land, if he would have made it that far there would have been ground casualties as well. This cache is located literally a few feet south east of the actual crash site.

The sole survivor; George Lamson Jr. turned 41 in 2008. He is a father now himself. He he has made his home in Nevada, the state that brought him brief fame and the lifelong simultaneous image of luck and misfortune. He remains a very private person.

***Update 8/14/12.
George Lamson is now working on a documentry on himself and other sole survivors of plane crashes. The film is called "Sole Survivor" and here is the link to the movie page. (visit link)
Feel free to donate to the Kickstarter program!

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Whfg unatvat nebhaq.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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