West Coast Airlines McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14   N9102    (c/n  45795)

                                    

                                         West Coast ordered three of these new jets for delivery in 1966.  Unfortunately, the first of these,
                                         N9101, crashed after being in service only two weeks when it impacted Salmon Mountain whilst
                                         en route from Eugene to Portland.   The reason for the aircraft being at such low altitude has never
                                         been established.  All 18 souls on board were killed.   N9102 seen above at Euguene, Oregon in this
                                         shot by Mike Haywood was, therefore, the flagship of the small fleet.  A replacement for N9101
                                         (N9104) was delivered in August of 1967.  That aircraft is shown below in the shot by Bob Garrard
                                         taken at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California in October of 1967.    Some six months
                                         later, on 9 April 1968 West Coast, along with Bonanza and Pacific Air Lines merged to form Air West.   
                                         The livery adapted by West Coast at the time, although very plain was, in my opinion, quite classic, and
                                         certainly very functional.  No gaudy tail stripes, merely the replacing the old "WCA" with the new logo
                                         (the Piper Navajos also bore this scheme).

                                        McDonnell Douglas DC-9-14     N9104      (c/n  47081)