The Miracle Cornfield Landing of 1960
At 1:40 am during a blizzard on January 18th, 1960, a World War II and Korean War marine veteran conducted a successful emergency landing of a DC-3 airplane a few yards north of this spot.
Shortly after an 8:30pm takeoff from St. Louis, MO, the airplane experienced electrical failure. Without any guidance instruments, the crew maneuvered in the direction of Minneapolis, MN but drifted off course. Sighting the town's water tower and courthouse clock through the snowstorm the loud and low plane flew several times over Carroll trying to find a place to land. With his head sticking out the side window because the windshield was frosted over and low on fuel, the pilot landed the 95 foot wing span aircraft near this spot.
On board the plane were 23 people, including the professional basketball team, the Minneapolis Lakers, which moved to Los Angeles the following year. This area was a cornfield in 1960 with unpicked corn standing in January from a wet harvest season. The pilot later joked, "never try to pick corn with a DC-3."
According to Carroll historian James Kerwin, the pilot paid tribute to Carroll, "the people of Carroll were terrific. Within five minutes, two or three men came dashing up to offer help, and in another five minutes a whole fleet of cars was out in the road. In a half hour we had hot
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The cornfield landing in deep snow did not damage the sturdy DC-3. Within a few days, the planes electrical system was repaired and Carroll residents bulldozed a makeshift airstrip through the snow and corn stalks. With hundreds of spectators lining the nearby road, the plane soared northward and returned to Minnesota. The Lakers continued using the converted war cargo plane.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is January 18, 1960.
Location. 42° 5.008′ N, 94° 51.436′ W. Marker is in Carroll, Iowa, in Carroll County. Marker is on Ashwood Drive, 0.1 miles south of Lakewood Drive. Marker is located in Veterans Memorial Park near the basketball court. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2201 Ashwood Drive, Carroll IA 51401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 2 other markers are within 16 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Influence of Railroads and Elevation (approx. 8.8 miles away); Manning Freedom Rock Veterans Memorial (approx. 15.9 miles away).
Also see . . . Plans are in place for a film about Lakers ‘Miracle Landing’ in Carroll. Carroll Times herald website entry (Submitted on January 8, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
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Credits. This page was last revised on January 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2017, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 915 times since then and 66 times this year. Last updated on February 8, 2020, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 4, 2017, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. 3. submitted on January 8, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 4, 5. submitted on April 4, 2017, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
