Saturday Matinee: Unsolved Histories

Summary

History Daily Podcast Summary: "Saturday Matinee: Unsolved Histories"

Release Date: April 12, 2025
Host/Author: Airship | Noiser | Wondery
Episode: Saturday Matinee: Unsolved Histories

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Saturday Matinee: Unsolved Histories," History Daily delves into the mysterious disappearance of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 293. Hosted by Lindsay Graham, the episode explores the tragic event that occurred on June 3, 1963, when Flight 293 vanished over the Gulf of Alaska, leaving 101 passengers and crew unaccounted for. This deep investigation not only recounts the historical facts but also highlights the personal impact on the families involved and the ongoing quest for answers.

The Flight 293 Tragedy

Flight 293 was a DC7C airliner chartered by the military to transport servicemen and their families from McChord Air Force Base in Washington State to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. The flight departed at approximately 8:30 AM local time but never reached its destination. The aircraft crashed into the Gulf of Alaska, and remarkably, no bodies were ever recovered. This absence of remains compounded the tragedy, leaving families without closure and the servicemen unrecognized as missing in action (MIA).

Personal Story of Greg Barrowman

Greg Barrowman, now in his 60s, shares a poignant personal narrative that underscores the emotional toll of the tragedy. On the afternoon of June 3, 1963, Greg was alone at home when he watched a special news bulletin announcing the disappearance of Flight 293. At around [03:10], he recounts:

Greg Barrowman (03:55): "Well, what they did at the time is they posted the passengers their names and where they were from right there. I was like, oh, that's interesting, interesting, you know, plane crash, Alaska. And I'm telling you, this is God's truth. I read the pastor list and I missed the first part of it in alphabetical order. So I sat there and you know, I couldn't believe it, but I saw my brother Bruce's name."

Tragically, Greg's 17-year-old brother, Bruce Barrowman, was among the passengers lost. The initial disbelief turned to desperation as Greg sought confirmation from his parents, leading to a harrowing wait for official news.

The Investigation and Its Limitations

Vic Bingham, a producer at Seattle's KIRO radio station, provides critical context about the investigation into Flight 293's disappearance. The official report, issued by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), spans merely ten pages, leaving numerous questions unanswered. Key points from the investigation include:

• Flight Path and Communication: Approximately two and a half hours into the flight, the pilot or co-pilot reported being at 14,000 feet over a point known as Domestic Annette. They requested permission to climb to 18,000 feet, which was denied ([14:20]).

• Radio Silence: After the initial communication, Flight 293 failed to respond to further attempts by ground operators and nearby aircraft to establish contact. Despite multiple efforts, including reaching out to Pacific Northern Airways Flight 5, no communication was ever received from Flight 293.

Vic Bingham (16:02): "The crew hadn't given any reason for wanting to climb from 14,000 to 18,000ft, though changing altitude would be a routine step for an airliner to take to avoid something like turbulence or icing conditions. We'll hear more about this in a later episode."

The lack of comprehensive investigation and the limited scope of the CAB report have left the circumstances surrounding the crash shrouded in mystery, fueling decades of speculation and sorrow among the affected families.

The Long Quest for Answers

For over sixty years, Greg Barrowman has been on a relentless pursuit to uncover the truth behind Flight 293's disappearance. This personal mission evolved into a broader initiative to seek closure not only for his family but also for the other bereaved families impacted by the tragedy.

Greg Barrowman (07:04): "I'd say we're trying to visit the past in order to gain perspective on our lives currently and then for myself."

With assistance from aviation experts, amateur sleuths, and collaborative efforts with other families, Greg has re-examined the original investigation documents, hoping to piece together the puzzle that has remained unsolved for decades.

Impact on Families and Legislation

The unresolved status of Flight 293 had profound effects on the families involved. Without official recognition as MIA, the servicemen aboard were not memorialized, and their families lacked the support typically afforded to those with loved ones missing in action. This oversight has persisted until recently when the ongoing efforts to shed light on the tragedy influenced legislative action.

A significant development highlighted in the episode is the proposal of the Flight 293 Remembrance Act, introduced by a current U.S. Senator who was moved by the podcast's investigation. This act aims to provide recognition and support to the families affected by Flight 293's disappearance. As of the episode's release, the act has been referred to the Committee on Armed Services and awaits further passage.

Conclusion

"Saturday Matinee: Unsolved Histories" presents a comprehensive exploration of a historical mystery that has lingered for six decades. Through personal testimonies, expert analysis, and a relentless quest for truth, History Daily not only recounts the events of Flight 293 but also showcases the enduring human spirit in the face of unresolved tragedy. The proposed Flight 293 Remembrance Act signifies a hopeful shift towards acknowledgment and support for the affected families, illustrating how historical investigations can influence present-day actions and legislation.

Notable Quotes

• Greg Barrowman (03:55): "I couldn't believe it, but I saw my brother Bruce's name."

• Greg Barrowman (07:04): "We're trying to visit the past in order to gain perspective on our lives currently and then for myself."

• Vic Bingham (16:02): "We'll hear more about this in a later episode."

Further Listening

For those interested in the ongoing investigation and more in-depth stories related to Flight 293 and other unsolved historical events, follow History Daily and explore additional episodes of the "Unsolved Histories" series.

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This summary is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the "Saturday Matinee: Unsolved Histories" episode of History Daily. For the full experience and additional details, listening to the original podcast is highly recommended.

Transcript

[Narrator]

There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history [e-mail] why do we study history? A very common answer, and a correct one, is to understand the present. Because history repeats itself. Or at the very least, it rhymes. But what if an investigation of history can change the present? We're sharing a clip from a podcast today that did just that. Unsolved History's first season is an eight part investigation into what happened to Flight 293. This Northwest Orient Airlines flight was chartered by the military to carry servicemen and families from McChord Air Force Base in Washington State to Elmendorf Air Force base in Anchorage, Alaska. The flight took off on June 3, 1963, but never made it to its destination, crashing into the Gulf of Alaska. Of the 101 people on board, there were no known survivors and crucially, no bodies were ever recovered. That is tragic enough, but because the service members on board were not missing in action as defined by the armed services, they were not remembered or memorialized, and the grieving families were not given the support typically provided to other MIA families. And here is how the past has changed the present because a current US Senator was listening to this podcast, and as a result, the Flight 293 Remembrance act has been proposed and referred to the Committee on Armed Services awaiting passage. So I hope you enjoy. And while you're listening, be sure to search for and follow unsolved histories. We put a link in the show notes to make it easy for you. History Daily is sponsored by Express Pros. Managing your workforce can be exhausting, and if you're tired of a costly and lengthy hiring process, simplify and speed up your recruitment. With one connection, the experts at Express Employment Professionals reduce time to hire, cut down on interviews, and lower your recruitment costs. Visit ExpressPros.com today. Express is more efficient than hiring on your own. Check out ExpressPros.com to see how Express employment professionals can take care of your hiring. Here's a tip for growing your business get the VentureX business card from Capital One and start earning unlimited double miles on every purchase. That's right, with unlimited double miles, the more your business spends, the more miles you earn. Plus, the venturex Business Card has no preset spending limit, so your purchasing power can adapt to meet your business needs. The VentureX business card also includes access to Over a thousand airport lounges. Just imagine where the VentureX business card from Capital One can take your business. Capital One, what's in your wallet? Terms and conditions apply. Find out [e-mail] venturexbusiness.

[Greg Barrowman]

I happen to kind of just be sitting there alone and everybody was else getting ready for dinner or else doing other things. And so I sat in this large room in front of the television and was about 5:00, 4:30, 5:00 and they had a special bulletin interruption news alert.

[Vic Bingham]

This is Vic Bingham speaking for the.

[Narrator]

Entire TV 7 news stat.

[Vic Bingham]

Greg Barrowman is in his 60s. He was just 8 years old one afternoon back in 1963 when he found himself sitting in front of the television by himself. Cartoons were over and the evening news was on from Seattle station KIRO or Cairo.

[Greg Barrowman]

Well, what they did at the time is they posted the passengers their names and where they were from right there. I was like, oh, that's interesting, interesting, you know, plane crash, Alaska. And I'm telling you, this is God's truth. I read the pastor list and I missed the first part of it in alphabetical order. So I sat there and you know, I couldn't believe it, but I saw my brother Bruce's name.

[Vic Bingham]

Bruce Barrowman, Greg's older brother, was only 17. That morning, Bruce had boarded a DC7C airliner near Seattle. Northwest Airlines Flight 293 to Anchorage, Alaska. And now a few hours later, Greg had to tell his parents what he had just seen on tv.

[Greg Barrowman]

And my parents were arguing, they had all sorts of issues. But at that time I went into the kitchen, I said, hey, you know, you gotta look at the tv, something's going on here. Then they poo pooed it for a little bit. I said, no, no, come on, this is for real.

[Vic Bingham]

It was for real. Bruce's plane was missing.

[Greg Barrowman]

So that was the start. And what I think they did is once they saw the same thing I did, immediately they called Cairo or whomever, somebody to reach out to because who are you going to call if something like that happens, but the media. So then I remember we all huddled around and waited and kept on watching and repeat updates and all that until we got a call back, I think about 7:00, 6, 7:00, a couple hours later anyhow, and they said it since it's for real.

[Vic Bingham]

Reports were sketchy that night as Greg and his parents and his three other siblings waited for details about what had happened.

[Greg Barrowman]

And you know, we obviously might remember, my parents were so concerned about, you know, obviously there's got to be survivors. Planes just don't just crash and people won't die necessarily. If it was a big plane like that, it could fly and all the whole thing, and it was dynamic.

[Vic Bingham]

Details never came. The Barrowman family and the families of everyone else on board the plane would never learn anything substantive about the tragedy that took the life of Bruce Barrowman and 100 others. Sons, fathers, brothers, daughters, mothers and sisters. For six decades, Greg Barrowman has been searching for answers about what happened to his brother and about what happened to Flight 293. At times, it's been a struggle to cope and to make sense of things in the wake of a tragedy that became an enduring mystery. Sixty years on, the Barrowmans aren't the only ones still suffering. The family members and friends who were left behind have never learned what really happened to the plane or about what led to the death of their loved ones. As Greg Barrowman grew up missing his big brother became a search for answers and a quest for closure. What began as a personal mission became so much more.

[Greg Barrowman]

I'd say we're trying to visit the past in order to gain perspective on our lives currently and then for myself.

[Vic Bingham]

Being in the fourth quarter of life.

[Greg Barrowman]

Now, to know that the people that we may affect in this broadcast or our communication would give people hope for the future and some result.

[Vic Bingham]

With help from Greg and from others who lost loved ones on Flight 293 and by consulting with aviation experts to review the old documents and with amateur sleuths to comb through the archives, we re examined the investigation and joined in the search for answers and in the quest for closure. From KSL Podcasts, I'm Felix Bunnell. This is Unsolved what Happened to Flight 293 Episode 1 Brothers.

[Felix Bunnell]

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[Narrator]

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[Vic Bingham]

I was intrigued by that first story because I had never heard of Flight 293 and I thought I knew my Pacific Northwest aviation history pretty well. I work for radio station KIRO in Seattle, where I produce history stories about things like old army forts, forgotten shipwrecks, abandoned drive in theaters, and lost and found treasures. But I also do a lot of stories about transportation disasters, bridges collapsing trolleys, jumping the tracks, and again and again, airplane crashes. My interest in plane crashes is not a ghoulish thing. It's the exact opposite. It's about life and survival and how traumatic experiences shape our feelings about what we value most in the short time we have on Earth. I visited crash sites and I've tracked down and spoken with amazing, resilient people who survived or witnessed some of the worst air crashes in the Pacific Northwest of the past 75 years. Like the man who survived the crash of a jetliner north of Seattle in 1959.

[Greg Barrowman]

I don't know if you've ever known you were going to die, but somehow you get a euphoric feeling. You know, don't worry about it.

[Narrator]

He's going to die.

[Greg Barrowman]

You know that.

[Felix Bunnell]

That's true.

[Greg Barrowman]

He accepted, and if we, well, hurry up, we get it over with.

[Vic Bingham]

I've also done stories about lost planes where family members of those aboard never gave up searching for answers. Like two young Navy pilots who took off from Seattle back in 1949 on a training flight and disappeared. The mother of one of them came to Seattle from Tennessee to help with the search. Nothing turned up. But she came back every year for 20 years to continue searching.

[Greg Barrowman]

She would talk about it and she'd share all the details with us, me and my brother as grandchildren. And it was always on her mind. She just never could get emotionally detached from it.

[Vic Bingham]

All this to say that something about plane crashes and the people affected by them have always been compelling. So that's why after I first read about Flight 293, I decided I needed to know more.

[Narrator]

More.

[Vic Bingham]

I checked online and there were some old articles and a few bits of information on Wikipedia. The most revealing and most frustrating thing I found was something called the Aircraft Accident Report, an official document issued by a federal government agency called the Civil Aeronautics Board, or cab. The CAB is essentially a precursor to the National Transportation Safety Board. Like the NTSB does today, the CAB investigated aviation accidents and issued reports on the causes of plane crashes. The CAB report on what happened to Flight 293 is a scant 10 pages. It leaves a lot of questions unanswered. That's one of the reasons why we're doing this podcast. The DC7C took off from McChord Air Force Base around 8:30 in the morning local time. Before takeoff and for the first few hours of the journey north, everything was ordinary. About two and a half hours into the flight, the CAB report says the pilot or co pilot of Flight 293 radioed that they were 14,000ft over a point called Domestic Annette or the part of their route nearest to Annette island in Southeast Alaska. Annette island is just north of the border between Canada and Alaska. This is a little confusing, but that point called Domestic Annette is actually about 130 miles west of the island out over the Gulf of Alaska. It's like an imaginary road sign in the air highways or routes that most aircraft travel between destinations. Pilots and co pilots don't give position reports like this anymore. Radar now tracks all commercial aircraft at all times. In 1963 between the Lower 48 and Alaska, this wasn't the case, so someone in the cockpit would use the radio to tell a radio operator on the ground that the plane was passing a certain spot. If a plane didn't make a report when it was expected to, the radio operators on the ground would know that something had gone wrong. As Flight 293 passed domesticonet, the pilot or co pilot of Flight 293 also requested permission to climb to 18,000ft. That request to change altitude was denied.

[Felix Bunnell]

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[Vic Bingham]

The crew hadn't given any reason for wanting to climb from 14,000 to 18,000ft, though changing altitude would be a routine step for an airliner to take to avoid something like turbulence or icing conditions. We'll hear more about this in a later episode. The CAB report explains that a Canadian radio operator at Sand Spit, British Columbia, that's an island just south of the Canadian border with Alaska, acknowledged this transmission and advised Flight 293 that this altitude was occupied by Pacific Northern Airlines Flight 5. In a routine situation involving communications like this between air traffic personnel on the ground and a cockpit crew in the air, someone from Flight 293 should have acknowledged the message from Sand Spit right away. Instead, there was only silence. The CAB report continues saying that two minutes later the Sand Spit operator attempted to contact Flight 293 and give it a clearance to 16,000ft. And then more silence. There was no answer from the plane. Next, the radio operator at Sand Spit asked the crew of Pacific Northern Airways Flight 5. Remember that was the aircraft already occupying the nearby airspace at 18,000ft to attempt to contact Flight 293. It's unclear how much time elapsed between the Sand Spit radio operator asking the Pacific Northern Airways crew for help, but it's likely they complied almost immediately. But when that crew tried to reach Flight 293 once again, there was no answer. Several minutes had gone by and no one on the ground or in the air could reach the cockpit crew of Flight 293. There was no answer from the Northwest Airlines DC7C that was supposed to be 14,000ft over the Gulf of Alaska and which was supposed to land at Elmendorf Air force base in two hours with 101 passengers and crew. As the CAB report succinctly and bluntly puts it, all further attempts to contact Flight 293 were futile. Thanks for listening to this clip of episode one from Unsolved. What happened to Flight 293? For more about our show, including pictures and other episodes, go to unsolved historiespod.com or find us anywhere you listen.

[Felix Bunnell]

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