In September of 1927, one of Mel Koontz's Jackie lions began a flying tour as MGM's Leo. On this Ryan Brougham plane, fitted with a cage for Jackie, with special tanks for his milk and water, and provisions for extra fuel, the publicity jaunt began. After five hours into the planned flight from San Diego to New York, pilot Martin Jensen was forced to crash land in the Arizona desert. He and Jackie both survived. He left the lion with the milk, water, and his own lunch of sandwiches, and was 4 days being found and taken to a phone. MGM's first question was, "How's the lion?" This Jackie was retired to the Philadelphia Zoo in 1931, and died of heart ailments in 1935. Mel Koontz said this Jackie (No. 1) was the ugliest lion ever seen. The wreck site and what's left of Jackie's cage are still there. I've been told where it is, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna get snake bit to trek out and look at a busted lion cage.
When told of this wreck's location, I was left with the vague reference to "in the desert where they have some trees." If that doesn't help. Today, Sue Koontz, who is writing the bio of Mel Koontz, advises me Mel's son lives near the crash site, outside of Payson, Arizona, in the Northwestern section of the Tonto National Forest. The location is on private land, and seriously forbidding to find.
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In September of 1927, one of Mel Koontz's Jackie lions began a flying tour as MGM's Leo. On this Ryan Brougham plane, fitted with a cage for Jackie, with special tanks for his milk and water, and provisions for extra fuel, the publicity jaunt began. After five hours into the planned flight from San Diego to New York, pilot Martin Jensen was forced to crash land in the Arizona desert. He and Jackie both survived. He left the lion with the milk, water, and his own lunch of sandwiches, and was 4 days being found and taken to a phone. MGM's first question was, "How's the lion?"
This Jackie was retired to the Philadelphia Zoo in 1931, and died of heart ailments in 1935. Mel Koontz said this Jackie (No. 1) was the ugliest lion ever seen. The wreck site and what's left of Jackie's cage are still there. I've been told where it is, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna get snake bit to trek out and look at a busted lion cage.
When told of this wreck's location, I was left with the vague reference to "in the desert where they have some trees." If that doesn't help. Today, Sue Koontz, who is writing the bio of Mel Koontz, advises me Mel's son lives near the crash site, outside of Payson, Arizona, in the Northwestern section of the Tonto National Forest. The location is on private land, and seriously forbidding to find.
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