Burbank, California Airport Friday, March 21, 1958, movie actor Mike Todd along with several others were killed in a plane crash. The plane, a two engine Lockheed Lodestar named the  "The Lucky Liz," named for Mike's movie star wife, Elizabeth Taylor. The  Lucky Liz encountered bad weather over the New Mexico Zuni Mountains.  Ice was developing on the wings that was putting a load on the engines. Bill Verner radioed John Johnson, the CAA person at Grants, New Mexico, and received permission to climb from 11,000 feet to 13,000 feet to try to get the ice off. 

Permission was granted at 2:05 a.m., Saturday, March 22, 1958. That was to be the last communication ever again to come from The Lucky Liz. "The Lucky Liz" crashed in a 7,000 feet high valley of the 9,300 feet high Zuni mountains 20 miles southwest of Grants, New Mexico at 2:05 a.m., Saturday, March 22, 1958.  The wreckage was scattered over half an acre.