1962: DC-8 Visits Troutdale Airport

On August 12th, 1962, UAL flight 861 had the misfortune of mistaking Portland International for the more provincial airport at Troutdale, just up the Columbia River.  Committed to his approach, the pilot landed. Getting in was one thing; getting out was another. Troutdale’s runway was only about 4,600 feet in length, thus requiring the mishap airliner to lose some weight to ensure a safe takeoff. The DC-8 was stripped of everything, the flight engineer crunched the numbers, and the crew departed without too much trouble.

This photo is from a Christmas card sent to my dad from a fellow UAL captain – the pilot of the DC-8.  If he could make a card out of it, he must have had a sense of humor.  Interestingly, the pilot mentions they toyed with using a JATO-type device to get the plane out of Troutdale.