Dean Martin's Son Lost In Phantom Crash
March 21st, 1987; Dean Martin's son Dean Paul Martin Jr., was scheduled to fly simulated bombing runs with the California Air National Guard.
On departure, permission was given by March Air Force Base ATC to perform a "maximum climb" takeoff. The aircraft was last seen disappearing into a scattered cloud ceiling at 4,700 feet. Radar contact was lost 9 minutes into the flight.
"Dean Paul "Dino" Martin Jr, 35, and WSO Captain Ramon Ortiz were killed when their F-4 Phantom jet flew inverted, into a solid wall of granite between two mountain peaks at an altitude of 3,750 feet, and at an estimated speed of 560 mph. Instrument meteorological conditions were reported in the vicinity of the mountain range at that time.
The crash site was located on Mt. San Gorgonio, also known as "Old Greyback” on the 3rd day of searching in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Eleven years before the crash of the F-4C, on January 6th, 1977, Dolly Sinatra Frank Sinatra’s mother had invited a friend to join her on a Lear jet, provided by son, to come to Vegas for a show. Minutes after the Gates 24 Lear Jet departed Palm Springs, Municipal Airport, it disappeared from radar, and at approximately 8000 feet in altitude, struck an 11,503-foot snowy mountaintop ridge, in the eastern portion of the San Gorgonio Wilderness, killing all aboard. The mountain they struck was Mt San Gorgonio. The very same mountain that took the lives of Martin and Oritz...
March ARB has a static display F-4 to this day (4 Dec 25) with Martin and Ortiz’s names under the canopy. Their photo also sits behind the bar at the base club (Sally’s Alley).
I was a weapons crew chief at march afb. Myself and crew launched the jets that day. It was raining cloudy and cold. We hooked up comms while we armed the jets for flight. I asked the pilot(martin) if he could drop all his bombs so we wouldn’t have to down load them when he got back. He laughed and said sure thing chief. We waited at the end of the runway for them to return. They Martin and Ortiz never returned. Some days you dont forget. Rip
I Was stationed at Homestead in green section I was the Crew Chief on 66-467 F-4. Dean Martin Jr flew my jet multiple times he was a really down to earth person so sorry that we lost him and his WSO.Rest in Peace the both of you.
When I was a 14 year old school girl I had a huge crush on Dino Jr., and one day in the summer of 1965 I actually spotted him trying on sunglasses at Knott’s Berry Farm. He was very good looking so I sauntered over to look at sunglasses too. He didn’t notice me, but I was so star struck that I forgot to ask for his autograph. Still bums me out today. :(
When I was a 14 year old school girl I had a huge crush on Dino Jr., and one day in the summer of 1965 I actually spotted him trying on sunglasses at Knott’s Berry Farm. He was very good looking so I sauntered over to look at sunglasses too. He didn’t notice me, but I was so star struck that I forgot to ask for his autograph. Still bums me out today. :(
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