[Grovenet] Memories . . . . .

Wed Dec 13 14:08:32 PST 2006

Yes, David and Ricky (known as "little Ricky" on the show) were the sons of
Ozzie and Harriet. 

As for the 'freebasing' claim, that particular slander caused his parents
and friend unending hurt on top of the loss of Ricky. 

>From the reports I've seen the Civil Aeronautics Board determined that the
fire was caused by a defective heater. There was no evidence of drugs found
on the plane. Also, the crash itself was caused by the pilot hitting power
lines in an attempt to make an emergency landing. Here's the story from one
on-line source:

"Despite a life long fear of flying, Rick had recently purchased a second
hand, twin-engine DC-3 plane. At 14:00 on 31st December, Rick, Helen (now
his fiancee) and band members, Bobby Neal, Rick Intveld, Andy Chapin and Pat
Woodward, together with his road manager Clark Russel, boarded the plane and
headed for the skies.  

"The first anyone on the ground knew of any problems with the flight was
when the pilot reported that there was smoke in the cabin area of the plane.
Shortly after he reported that smoke and flames had penetrated into the
cock-pit and he was going to attempt an emergency landing. However during
the landing attempt the damaged plane hit some power lines and trees and
exploded into a ball of flame on impact. Luckily the force threw the pilot
and co-pilot to safety. They attempted to rescue the passengers but were
pushed back by the intense heat and flames. Emergency services arrived at
the scene too late to save the seven souls on board. Upon entering the
plane, investigators discovered that Rick and Helen were still strapped in
their seats, with Rick shielding his fiancee. A final act of bravery and
love.

"In the coming days a news report in the Washington Post reported that the
crash may have been caused by the band members free-basing in the plane, a
process in which cocaine is ignited. It was claimed that aerosol cans which
could have been used for this purpose were found on the plane. It was later
confirmed that no evidence of any drug abuse was discovered anywhere on the
plane. Most of the aerosols were in the baggage area of the plane and this
was a time when the use of aerosols for cosmetic use was at it's highest. It
was also discovered that the cause of the fire was in actual fact a faulty
heater on the aircraft. However the damage had been done and this final slur
on the name of a man who could no longer defend himself, deeply affected his
family."

http://www.rickynelson.co.uk/life3.html

Here's another report:

"Ever since his death in a private plane crash on New Year's Eve, 1985, it
has been speculated that the fire that caused the crash was the result of
drug use--supposedly freebasing cocaine--either by Nelson himself or by one
of his crew. This theory has since been discredited by, among other sources,
the Civil Aeronautics Board in their official report on the crash. Their
evidence shows that the cause originally given for the crash (an on-board
heater short-circuiting and catching fire) is the correct one"

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625699/bio

Or...

"Rumors that drug use among the passengers caused the crash frequently
resurface, but the original NTSB investigation long ago stated that the
crash was probably due to mechanical problems. An examination indicated the
fire originated in the right hand side of the aft cabin area at or near the
floor line. The ignition and fuel sources could not be determined, although
many believe that the most likely cause was a defective cabin heater. The
pilot indicated that the crew tried to turn on the cabin heater repeatedly
shortly before the fire occurred, but that it failed to respond. After the
fire, the access panel to the heater compartment was found unlatched. The
theory is supported by records that showed that DC-3's in general, and this
aircraft in particular, had a previous history of problems with the cabin
heaters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Nelson

Ron D'Eau Claire

-----Original Message-----
From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com] On
Behalf Of Adam Hampton
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 10:23 AM
To: Forest Grove local interests list
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Memories . . . . .

    You mean, like, Ozzy Osbourne??

 Or, are you referring to the Nelsons like Ricky Nelson? (you know, the one 
that wrote 'Garden Party'--and later died trying to freebase coke in a 
plane).

Adam Hampton
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ron D'Eau Claire" <rondec at easystreet.com>
To: "'Forest Grove local interests list'" <grovenet at rdrop.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 9:11 AM
Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Memories . . . . .

> Or, as an old friend of mine once wailed, "WHY WASN'T I RAISED BY 
> OZZIE AND
> HARRIET???"
>
> I identified with that sentiment!
>
> Now there's a way to separate the youngsters from the adults. Who
> remembers Ozzie and Harriet?
>
> Ron D'Eau Claire
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com]
> On Behalf Of Bob Browning
> Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2006 9:01 AM
> To: Grovenet
> Subject: [Grovenet] Memories . . . . .
>
>
>
> C 2006 Berkeley Breathed
>
> bob "oh, those childhood memories!! Such as I can remember!!" browning
>
>
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----

> _______________________________________________
> GroveNet mailing list
> GroveNet at rdrop.com http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet
> 

_______________________________________________
GroveNet mailing list
GroveNet at rdrop.com http://www.rdrop.com/mailman/listinfo/grovenet