ight ▁after ▁ 2 2 ▁n avy ▁air plan es ▁had ▁been ▁str and ed ▁with ▁dw ind ling ▁gas oline ▁supplies ▁in ▁the ▁sky , ▁and ▁at ▁its ▁conclusion ▁every ▁av i ator ▁involved ▁was ▁safe . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁long ▁series ▁of ▁emer gen cies ▁which ▁developed ▁as ▁the ▁fuel ▁ran ▁danger ously ▁low ▁in ▁the ▁plan es , ▁one ▁at ▁a ▁time , ▁one ▁plane ▁was ▁demol ished , ▁another ▁was ▁badly ▁dam aged , ▁one ▁caught ▁fire ▁and ▁several ▁others ▁turned ▁over ▁and ▁were ▁slightly ▁dam aged . ▁At ▁ 8 ▁o ' clock ▁only ▁two ▁plan es ▁remained ▁al o ft , ▁and ▁they ▁circ led ▁aim lessly ▁about ▁over ▁the ▁city ▁watching ▁for ▁a ▁break ▁in ▁the ▁fog . ▁They ▁carried ▁no ▁rad ios ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁be ▁told ▁that ▁the ▁n avy ' s ▁call ▁upon ▁the ▁citizens ▁of ▁San ▁Diego ▁for ▁assistance ▁had ▁sent ▁scores ▁of ▁motor ists ▁r ushing ▁to ▁Camp ▁K ear ny ▁mes a ▁to ▁light ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁head light s ▁of ▁their ▁cars ▁an ▁un used ▁air port ▁there . ▁The ▁United ▁Airlines ▁night ▁mail ▁plane , ▁pil oted ▁by ▁C . ▁F . ▁S ull ivan , ▁was ▁en ▁route ▁from ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁to ▁San ▁Diego . ▁It ▁carried ▁a ▁radio - tele phone . ▁At ▁the ▁request ▁of ▁the ▁n avy , ▁S ull ivan ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁fly ▁around ▁above ▁the ▁fog , ▁locate ▁the ▁two ▁plan es ▁and ▁lead ▁them ▁to ▁Camp ▁K ear