Remembering Victims, Crew of Flight 261
 Ventura County Star
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Today, on the ninth anniversary of the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, our thoughts once again go out to the victims’ families and friends, who have traveled to our shore to keep alive the memories of those who perished.
It was at 4:22 p.m. Jan. 31, 2000, that Flight 261, heading to San Francisco and Seattle from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, fell from the sky into the waters of the Pacific Ocean near Anacapa Island.
Investigators later determined that a failed part in the plane’s tail, called a jackscrew, caused the crash. In all, 83 passengers and five crew members died.
As in past years, relatives and friends will gather, beginning at 3:45 p.m. and ending at 4:22 p.m., near the Flight 261 memorial sculpture on Hueneme Beach where they will reminisce during the short ceremony about those who perished on that January day.
We join with those who have traveled here to pay homage to the 88 passengers and crew listed below.
The crew:
Capt. Ted Thompson, 53, of Redlands.
First Officer William Tansky, 57, of Alameda.
Flight attendant Allison Shanks, 33, of Seattle.
Flight attendant Craig Pulanco, 30, of Seattle.
Flight attendant Kristin Mills, 26, of Seattle.
Alaska and Horizon Air employees onboard:
Sherry Christiansen, 25, of Seattle.
Rachel Janosik, 20, of Enumclaw, Wash.
Stacy Schuyler, 20, of Milton, Wash.
Sarah Pearson, 36, Rodney Pearson, 45, and their daughters, Rachel, 6, and Grace, 22 months, all of Seattle.
Ileana Ost, 30, Bob Ost, 39, and daughter, Emily, 4 months, all of San Bruno.
Anjesh Prasad, 19, cousins, Avinash Prasad, 19, and Avinesh “Amit” Deo, 23, all of Seattle.
James J. Ryan, 30, parents, Terry Ryan, 55, and Barbara Ryan, 54, and brother, Pat Ryan, 33, all of Redmond, Wash.
The passengers:
Larry Baldridge Jr. 34, of San Francisco.
Renato Bermudez, 39, of San Francisco.
Michael Bernard, 30, of Seattle.
Malcolm Branson, 39, of Seward, Alaska.
William Bryant, 45, of San Francisco.
Ryan Busche, 28, of Seattle.
Abigail Busche, 25, of Seattle.
Gabriella Chavez, 33, of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Toni Choate, 46, of San Francisco.
Jacqueyn Choate, 17, of San Francisco.
David Clemetson, 40, Carolyn Clemetson, 31, and their children, Coriander, 8, Blake, 7, Miles, 6, and Spencer, 6 months, all of Seattle.
John Cuthbertson, 70, of Danville.
Monte Donaldson, 31, of Seattle.
Dean Forshee, 47, of Benicia.
Jerri Fosmire, 48, Eugene, Ore.
Allen Friedmann, 47, of Round Lake Beach, Ill.
Robert Gandesbery, 69, and Jean Gandesbery, 69, both of Davis.
Meghann Hall, 19, of Enumclaw, Wash.
Aloysius Han, 65, of Oakland.
Glenn Hatleberg, 65, and Barbara Hatleberg, 64, both of Eugene, Ore.
Robert Hovey, 50, of Emeryville.
Russell Ing, 28, of Seattle.
Karl Karlsson, 51, and Carol Karlsson, 42, both of Petaluma.
Joseph Knight, 54, and Linda Knight, 51, both of Monroe, Wash.
William Knudson, 53, of Sacramento.
Naomi Laigo, 53, and Rodrigo Laigo, 53, both of Fairfield.
Ronald Lake, 59, and Joyce Lake, 62, both of Corte Madera.
Bradley Long, 39, of Sacramento.
James Luque, 41, of San Francisco.
Juan Marquez, 53, of San Francisco.
Cynthia Oti, 43, of Oakland.
Deborah Penna, 27, of Seattle.
Jean Permison, 73, of Scotts Valley.
Stanford Poll, 59, of Mercer Island, Wash.
Paul “Clark” Pulanco, 40, of Seattle.
Charles Russell, 70, of Scotts Valley.
Ellen Salyer, 51, of Sebastopol.
Donald Shaw, 63, of Olympia, Wash.
Charlene Sipe, 53, of Brier, Wash.
Joan Smith, 53, of Belmont.
Ryan Sparks, 20, of Enumclaw, Wash.
Harry Stasinos, 54, of Seattle.
Thomas Stockley, 63, and Margaret Stockley, 62, both of Seattle.
Janice Stokes, 48, of Ketchikan, Alaska.
Morris Thompson, 60, and Thelma Thompson, 56, both of of Fairbanks, Alaska, and daughter, Sheryl, 33, of Valdez, Alaska.
Robert Thorgrimson, 63, and Lorna Thorgrimson, 52, both of Lofall, Wash.
Nina Voronoff, 32, of San Francisco.
Colleen Whorley, 34, of Seattle.
Steve Wilkie, 38, of San Francisco.
Bob Williams, 65, and Patty Williams, 63, of Poulsbo, Wash.
May all those gathering today to remember their loved ones and friends who were on Flight 261, find a measure of comfort. |
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Editorials | January 2009 
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