Newspaper
Articles about the Disappearance of Jack Richard Nolen, M.D.
January
21, 2005 Missing
local doctor's plight hits his family hard
January
22, 2005 Search
for doctor zones in on Eufaula Lake area
January
24, 2005 Search
to find Muskogee doctor ends
January
24, 2005 Search
for missing aircraft called off
Monday,
January 24, 2005
Search Called Off for Missing Pilot
Recently
retired MRMC director was flying from
By Donna Hales
Civil Air Patrol volunteers from
Dr. Jack Nolen, 73, departed
Nolen was piloting a kit-built plane he recently purchased, said
Muskogee Regional Medical Center Senior Vice President/Financial Director Jim
Blair.
Nolen, recently retired medical director of MRMC, also is medical
director of Good Shepherd Health Clinic, a free clinic for the working poor in
the
Nolen served at MRMC for seven years before his Dec. 31
retirement. He still works at MRMC part-time, Blair said.
Civil Air Patrol Maj. Charles Newcomb of
Muskogee Civil Air Patrol Squadron Capt. Don Foster of
"A flight plan is not required when flying in good weather
under visual rules, but it is prudent -- it is the wise thing to do, but not
everybody does it," Foster said. "He didn't this time, and this time
may have gone bad. But we don't know that."
The Civil Air Patrol doesn't know if there is a radio on the
plane, Foster said.
Nolen left his car at the airport in
Capt. Jim Harig of
They were aided by members of the Hughes County Sheriff's Office.
Hughes County Deputy Jason Scroggins said the ground search ended
about
Two specially equipped airplanes also were searching the route
from
After the searches were called off, a possible target was noted
about dark two miles south of Gerty, Foster said. The
ground search today will begin in that area, he said.
A Civil Air Patrol plane out of
Nolen ordered the experimental plane and waited a year for it to
be built. He was very excited about its recent delivery, Blair said.
"He has many, many hours in the air and was multi-rated to
fly twin engines -- just a very experienced pilot," Blair said.
Because of big winds, Blair said Nolen may have had some problems
and flown farther south.
"He could even turn up in the middle of
Friends and co-workers are hopeful Nolen will contact someone that
he is OK, Blair said.
Foster said the plane is blue and white with a red prop, a
single-engine, two-seat plane.
Nolen volunteers his time at Good Shepherd Health Clinic, operated
by St. Paul United Methodist Church and St. Joseph Catholic Church, said Kevin
Tully, pastor of St. Paul.
"He also helps recruit other doctors and sits on our
board," Tully said Saturday evening. The pastor expressed surprise to
learn Nolen was missing.
"Jack's a great guy -- always in our
Nolen had an OB/GYN practice in
You can reach reporter Donna Hales at
684-2923 or dhales@muskogeephoenix.com.
January 21, 2005 Missing local
doctor's plight hits his family hard
By Donna Hales
Worries
mount for Dr. Jack Nolen of
One
of Nolen's four living sons, Tim Nolen, 43, a chemical engineer in
"It's
just in-between," he said. "We don't know what to think. People want
to be positive, and that's good. But then we worry about the worst. "
Tim
Nolen said his father's love of flying began when he had a partner in his
medical practice who was a pilot. In the early 1970s, the partner and his son
were killed in an airplane crash in
"My
father loves to fly more than anything else, which is why he was not dissuaded
by our (family's) incredulous reactions to his plan to obtain an ultralight and fly again," Tim Nolen said.
Earlier flying mishap ended well
Tim
Nolen recalled one flight incident that turned out to be comical when his
father, "the ever-bold pilot", came to visit his son's family in
His
dad had rented a Cessna 152 in
The
flight took longer than expected and the plane ran out of fuel, "although
he swore it was because the gas was bad," Tim Nolen said.
Somehow,
his father managed to land the little plane in a small field in fading twilight,
Tim Nolen memorialized on a family Web site.
It
was an amazing landing considering he narrowly missed the power lines, touched
down on a down-hill slope, ran through a barbed wire fence -- some of which
wrapped around the propeller -- and stopped as the plane was traveling up the
hill on the other side of the fence, the son said.
"Dad
said that after he stopped safely, he reached to unbuckle his seat belt and
then realized he had forgotten to fasten it. No harm done to the indefatigable
Jack Nolen, though," Tim Nolen said. "It's an amazing memory. I'll
never forget it. And neither will the guy who owned the land. It was the
biggest thing that ever happened on his little piece of turf."
Fortunately,
his father was unhurt and when he and his son returned later to the field where
the plane landed, a television crew was waiting for them.
Jack
Nolen told his story on camera, how he just thought there was trash in the
gasoline and he could make it to the airport, although the engine was
sputtering and he was losing altitude.
"Only
a few miles from the runway, he realized that he wasn't going to make it,"
his son said.
Tim
Nolen, with his 1-year-old son on his hip, helped his father check the fuel
tank with a wooden ruler so his dad could prove there was fuel in the tank and
that the gas was bad.
However,
the fuel tank was dry as a bone, the son said, which proved it was pilot error.
Emotions yo-yo from hope to fear
But
there is nothing comical about the flight his father left on last Friday. And Tim
Nolen's nerves are getting frayed.
"You
can't do anything until you know something," Tim Nolen said. "I've
never had to deal with this kind of uncertainty."
He
also said he's trying to focus on the positive and how much is being done to
try to find his father by ground and air searchers.
"That
is always encouraging. But I'd rather this (uncertainty) not go on any
longer," he said.
The
loving son talked of what an industrious and giving person his father has
always been.
"You
can tell that by the fact that he worked for nearly 60 years," the son
said.
"He
believed in what John Wesley said: 'Work all you can, save all you can and give
all you can,' " Tim Nolen said of his father.
"He never spent it on himself and always gave. He could have taken life
easy the last two decades, but he never stopped giving.
"We're
just not going to be able to replace him."
"We
have a whole network in
Susan
McColley, Nolen's ex-wife and the mother of his two
youngest children, Paige, 14, and Jack Jr., 22, said the family is so grateful
for the well-trained searchers who are working so hard to find the missing
physician, pilot, father and grandfather.
McColley said she is committed to
remaining positive he will be found.
Paige,
a student at
"We're
still maintaining hope," McColley said.
Jack
Nolen Jr., attending
He
talked of coming home during the search for his father but was persuaded his
father would not want him to leave college just two weeks from finishing his
classes, his mother said.
"Dad
is one of a kind," Jack Nolen Jr. said Thursday in a phone interview,
adding that "without question" he is a great father.
The search
Officials continue their search today for the
The Civil Air Patrol will resume its search for Dr. Jack Nolen and
his small, one-engine plane today near
The search was expanded into the
Nolen, who recently retired as medical director of
The
Wagoner said when he reached the top of a hill he was surprised he
could no longer see the plane.
Newcomb said by sunset Thursday search planes had logged about 200
hours in the air.
January 22. 2005 Former
Authorities continue search for Nolen's plane.
By Andy Powell
Times Staff Writer
The search for the plane of Dr. Jack Nolen, a former
Nolen has been missing since Jan. 14 when his Kitfox 2, a single-engine, two-seater, failed to arrive in
Nolen, an obstetrician and gynecologist, had practiced in
Nolen, who still has family living in
"Pray that's we'll find him," said Julie Nolen,
Nolen's sister-in-law.
She said the family is talking to officials in
Nolen's brother, the late Dr. Thirwell
Nolen, was a general surgeon, and another brother, John Frank, operated John's
Pharmacy's in
John Frank Nolen said his brother loved to fly and had only
had this plane a short time.
"We're really anxious and have been worried about him
and still are," he said.
Newcomb said the CAP search is focusing west of
The search is covering a 2,300-square-mile area from
Newcomb said Friday that about 25 people and four airplanes
were participating in the search as well as a ground search team. He said that
number likely would increase during the weekend because more volunteers will be
available. He said probably as many as 200 people have participated in the
search during the past week.
Newcomb said nothing substantial has been uncovered and the
CAP has been following up leads that have been phoned in from across
Nolen's plane is fabric-covered plane, and Newcomb said not
having metal to reflect in the sun might be harder to locate.
"That is a fairly rugged area of
A decision to suspend the search would be made by the U.S.
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at Langley Air Force Base, Newcomb said.
January 22, 2005 Search for
doctor zones in on Eufaula Lake
By Donna Hales
The search for missing
Civil Air Patrol spokesman Maj. Charles Newcomb said the search
could continue through the weekend.
"What we're hoping is the Air Force is going to let us
continue into (today) and hope we can get half a dozen ground teams out,"
Newcomb said. "We'd like to find something positive ... We're still
interested in hearing from anyone who talked to Nolen (after he left the
The Civil Air Patrol sent out e-mails for its trained volunteers
to enter the search today.
Nolen, who recently retired as medical director of
The Civil Air Patrol got the notice Nolen was missing about
Newcomb said friends and concerned citizens can best help by
praying for Nolen and his family.
Newcomb discouraged any searching by untrained volunteers.
"We try to discourage people from going out and searching on
their own for fear of getting somebody hurt," Newcomb said.
You can reach reporter Donna Hales at 684-2923 or dhales@muskogeephoenix.com.
January 24, 2005 Search to find
Muskogee
By Donna Hales
The intensive, nine-day ground and air search for missing Muskogee
pilot Dr. Jack Nolen ended Sunday night after the U.S. Air Force Rescue
Coordination Center at Langley Air Force Base ordered it abandoned.
"We have followed up everything that we can possibly follow
up," said Civil Air Patrol spokesman Maj.
Nolen, who retired as medical director at
Nolen flew out of
Nolen, 73, has four sons, one daughter and two grandchildren.
"We're well aware that they've just expended tremendous
effort," said Susan McColley, Nolen's ex-wife
and mother of his two youngest children, Jack Jr., 22, and Paige, 14.
"It's disappointing because we don't know anything."
McColley said the family is
grateful for all the effort put out to find her ex-husband and for the many
prayers said on his behalf.
She asks the public and friends to continue to pray that her
husband will be found.
"That's all I know to do," she said.
Seven Civil Air Patrol planes joined in Sunday's search, as well
as three ground teams, Newcomb said. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol had one plane
in the air and a helicopter.
"The Civil Air Patrol's goal is to find a downed plane, and
we are extremely saddened that we did not," said Col. Virginia Keller of
the Civil Air Patrol based at Tinker Air Force Base. "We wish we could
have brought closure to the family."
Civil Air Patrol Capt. Don Foster of
"It's been nine days of
daylight-to-dark searching ... This time was no joy -- no luck," Foster
said.
"We did the best we could."
Keller said the search was hampered by not getting precise radar
reports at the onset.
"Our hopes were lifted today (Sunday) when we got some new
radar information that indicated the exact stopping point of the radar echoes
on the plane," Keller said. "We sent aircraft and a ground team to
the site (north of Calvin in
If people would bury their trash, it would help, Keller said.
Foster, too, talked of trash heaps being a deterrent to finding a
downed plane. "Hundreds of times" in the last nine days searchers
spent valuable time checking out what turned out to be trash dumps.
"Trash heaps from the air can look very much like a downed
airplane, and a downed airplane can look very much like a trash heap,"
Foster said. "An air crash rarely looks like an airplane."
You can reach reporter Donna Hales at 684-2923 or dhales@muskogeephoenix.com.
January 24, 2005 Search for
missing aircraft called off
By Mary Madewell
The
The search for a missing
single-engine aircraft was suspended Sunday after a week of searching found no trace
of the plane or the 73-year-old
The small aircraft piloted by Dr. Jack Nolen disappeared Jan. 14 after it left
Tim Nolen of
“I believe he originally set out to fly to Shawnee,” the son said, adding that
on Thursday, Jan. 13, when he left Muskogee there was a strong northerly wind
that could have pushed him off track and led him to land in Paris.
“Credit card records show that he spent the night in a
“He told a person at the airport in Paris who helped him program his GPS
navigation system that he was going to
“We have followed up everything that we can possibly follow up,” Civil Air
Patrol Maj. Charles Newcomb said. “We will not reopen it unless something
significant develops.”
Newcomb said aircraft and ground search teams combed 8,146 square miles in
southeastern
Dozens of volunteers searched the rugged terrain and Oklahoma CAP aircraft
logged 300 hours of flying time over the search area.
‘‘We’re not convinced that there has been a crash. We just flat don’t know,’’
Newcomb said.
Newcomb said the aircraft Nolen was flying refueled in
Nolen was the only person on the two-seat aircraft.
‘‘We are saddened that we don’t have something more definite to report to the
Nolen family,’’ said CAP Col. Virginia Keller,
Nolen retired as medical director at
Officials at the Cox Field said Nolen had been having trouble with his on-board
global positioning system and that they helped him program the system before he
took off.
The small aircraft was equipped with a ballistic recovery parachute which when
deployed allows a disabled aircraft to descend slowly to the ground, Newcomb
said. No evidence of a deployed parachute has been found, he said.
The parachute’s manufacturer, Ballistic Recovery Systems, plans to keep records
of the color and size of parachutes it installs in aircraft to assist future
recovery missions, he said.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Monday, January 24, 2005 Search Called Off for Missing Pilot
The nine-day search for a
missing
Some may find it hard to believe that authorities could not locate the missing
plane. But as KTEN’s Rich Klindworth
reports, it’s not as easy as you may think.
According to the Oklahoma
Highway Patrol, the search for Doctor Jack Nolen and his plane is a mystery.
The 73-year-old
The last time Dr. Nolen’s
plane was picked up on radar was in Gerty,
Nolen dropped under the
radar but was still probably airborne around three thousand feet off the ground
and had three to four hours of fuel left.
According to weather data, Nolen most likely flew into some cloud cover.
Investigators believe he may have become disoriented and his
plane went down.
“We really don’t know
what he did. Whether he got into weather or had engine trouble. That part is frustrating,” Trooper Jerry Green.
Search pilots look for
what they call garbage resembling plane parts on the ground, with wreckage no
bigger than what could fit into a pick-up
truck’s bed.
A flight where officials
could have tracked Nolen when he went below radar, was
available to him, but it’s not mandatory.
Rich Klindworth, KTEN News.