Well-known twins on missing Alaska plane

By CANDACE CHASE

The Daily Inter Lake

Former Flathead Valley residents Jim and Joe Murphy were aboard a floatplane missing since Monday in Southeast Alaska.

Creston resident Patricia Sonstelie, older sister of the identical Murphy twins, said she first received word her brothers were missing early Tuesday.

"I learned about it when the phone rang at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday," Sonstelie said.

Other sisters to the twins, Monica Wright and Pam Wingate, also live in the valley. They grew up in a family with 10 children with deep roots in the Flathead Valley.

Sonstelie remains in constant contact with the U.S. Coast Guard, which launched a massive search effort Monday. The chartered, single-engine floatplane disappeared en route to a Baranof Island fishing lodge.

Now residents of Washington state, the Murphy twins, 64, were on board with two other fishermen from California. The DeHavilland Beaver floatplane, owned by Harris Aircraft Services of Sitka, Alaska, was flown by Eric Johnson, also of Sitka.

According to Sonstelie, her brothers were born and raised in the Flathead Valley. They graduated from Flathead County High School in 1958.

She said the two return to the valley every year and have attended each of their class reunions.

"They're usually asked to be the class spokesmen," Sonstelie said. "They're well-loved."

She said many residents remember the twins from the bowling alley where they worked setting pins at 13 or 14. They became outstanding bowlers, winning several tournaments at a young age.

Jim Murphy was once featured on the Paul Harvey radio program when he bagged a huge bull trout from the Flathead River in a fishing derby.

After leaving the valley, Jim Murphy became president of the ironworkers union in California while Joe Murphy worked as a union electrician.

Joe Murphy was politically active, rising to state chairman of the Democratic party in Washington. He is now senior vice president of the Washington State Labor Council.

Both twins recently retired.

Joe Murphy lives in Bremerton, Wash., with his wife Gerry Heber Murphy, who also has roots in the Flathead Valley. They have four children - James, Joseph, Robert and Theresa - and several grandchildren.

Jim Murphy retired to Sequim, Wash., with his wife Bonnie. The couple have a daughter, Jamie.

Although the plane disappeared Monday, Sonstelie remains hopeful her brothers and the others survived. She said her son, a nephew and Gerry Murphy's brother are part of the rescue effort.

"Gerry's brother is up there searching on the water," she said.

All were flown up to join the rescue effort by Alaska Airlines free of charge. Sonstelie said about 1,000 people are now involved in the looking for the missing men and plane.

"It's been an amazing outpouring of people," she said.

The Coast Guard search resumed Thursday by air. Sonstelie said an expanded operation was planned with helicopters flying low areas and volunteers on the ground over the weekend.

Sonstelie called the Coast Guard officials "very gracious," allowing her to call constantly for status reports on the search. She also spoke with the charter plane's owner who said many people walk away from downed planes.

"He said it's finding them that's difficult," she said.

According to the charter company owner, the color of the floatplane blends in with the brush, trees and water. He said the aircraft was outfitted with a radio but the terrain makes picking up radio signals difficult.

"You have to be in a particular place to hear it," Sonstelie said.

Coast Guard officials believe the floatplane went down at about 10 a.m. Monday. The pilot took off from Sitka bound for Baranof Warm Springs, a small town less than 20 miles east of Sitka.

Because of frequent poor weather, light planes often must fly north of the mountainous Baranof Island. The alternate, 60- to 80-mile route follows Peril Strait and Chatham Strait over water, dense forests and steep mountain slopes.

According to news reports from the area, the pilot never radioed for help after takeoff. Without clues from a last transmission, searchers expanded their hunt beyond the normal routes within reach of the airplane's fuel supply.

Sonstelie said that the owner of the airplane urged her family "to keep our faith." His optimism draws from the skill of the Alaska's bush pilots and the stellar reputation of the DeHavilland Beaver.

Most of the planes were built in the 1940s but continue as the workhorse of the Alaska bush. They haul a large quantity of freight and have a long glide ratio that allows pilots to often land safely even without power.

As Sonstelie and the rest of the families wait by the telephone, she said she agreed with the plane owner's parting words.

"All we can do is just pray."

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com