REDWOOD CITY—A walk down Resolution Trail reminds hikers of the plane crash that happened on October 29, 1953. The incident took a total of 19 lives, including 11 passengers and 8 crew members.
The British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines DC6 was initially flying to Vancouver, Canada, from Sydney, Australia, with multiple stops. From Flight of the Resolution, “the flight departed at Honolulu International Airport before it crashed in mountainous terrain on approach to San Francisco airport.” It has been more than 60 years since that day.
According to Grant Marek from SFGATE, “A piece of the crash snarled around a tree was difficult to remove during the 50s, and lots of the debris from the plane was pressed into the gourd.” Still, some small pieces of evidence can be found on the gourd in the preserve.
The crashed plane was commemorated in 2006 with a memorial plaque with the victims’ names on it made by the Native Sons of the Golden West, an organization dedicated to preserving California history. Today, the crash site is surrounded by nature in El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve, and it gives visitors a chance to recognize and experience a specific part of Bay Area history. Visit El Corte de Madera Creek Preserve
