Unfictional Podcast – Falling

On a separate sheet of paper, completely and thoughtfully answer the following questions.

Questions to answer while listening:

1. In February of what year did the Cessna airplane at the center of this story crash?

2. The San Gabriel mountains, location of the crash site, are north of what major U.S. city?

Los Angeles

3. On the day of the flight, young Norman Ollestad notices especially thick clouds and
overhears a radio warning about the weather. What was the pilot’s reaction to the warning?
Why didn’t Ollestad speak up and voice his concerns?

He was unsure if they were safe or not since the pilot was not fazed by the warning

4. Norman Jr. describes his dad, Norman Ollestad, Sr., as a “straight-laced, kind of 1950’s guy
with a law degree” and a job with the FBI. He also, though, surfed every morning and played
poker on the beach “with all these crazy dudes.” Ollestad says his father often told him not
to worry about what you’re supposed to do. Instead, he told his son to “just do it all.” (3
words)

5. The summer before the crash Ollestad and his father were in Mexico. Describe the eerily
prophetic conversation they had about the summer heat.

Thirsty dry ugly heat to death

6. Sandra, the girlfriend of Ollestad’s dad, suffered a head injury and dislocated shoulder. What
was different about the way she viewed the descent down the mountain than the way
Ollestad approached the challenge? Give details to support your answer.

Losing it not committed Sandra

7. What was the “split emotion” that Ollestad felt about Sandra’s death?

He could move

8. When Ollestad is sliding down the hill towards a meadow, what’s the last obstacle that traps
him? Deep thick snow with thorns

9. Evan Chapman and his family lived in the shadow of the San Gabriel mountains. In what
small way did Evan, his brother, and their mom help Ollestad know which way to travel once
he reached the meadow? footprints
10. Glen Farmer, a curious teenager, decided to try to help find any plane crash survivors.
Describe the moment he found Ollestad.

Yelling fingers
Unfictional Podcast – Falling – page 2

11. Now that he’s a father himself, do you think Ollestad has more similarities or more
differences when compared to his dad? Explain your answer. Similarities have to do what you
have to do
Questions to answer after listening:

12. The producers of the Unfictional podcast tell this story by breaking the narrative of the
crash story with segments of Ollestad remembering parts of his childhood before the crash
with his dad. Is this method of storytelling effective? Explain why or why not.

13. Ollestad describes a time when he was staying in a Mexican fishing village with his father.
When they went surfing, the waves were massive, yet he was able to successfully reach the
center of a fierce wave, saying it felt like he had reached the center of the universe. “You’re in
the middle of this energy force that can crush you, yet somehow you’ve tamed it and you’re
sitting inside of it. You’ve sort of broken it,” he recalls. Explain how this moment might have
helped him survive on the mountain.

14. On the day of the plane crash, the temperature on the mountain was just 10 degrees.
Have you ever been in weather that cold or even colder? If so, do your best to describe how it
felt.

15. Early in the episode, the narrator says that the “important things we learn from our
parents don’t really come into focus until much later in life.” How was this true for Ollestad
and his father?

16. Think about your own parents/guardians. What piece of advice do they say to you most
often? What lasting lesson have you actually learned just from watching them?

17. Norman Ollestad, Sr., was 43 when he died. Given what you know about him from his
son’s description, would you say he lived a successful life? What leads you to this conclusion?
San Gabriel Mountains seen from Cajon Pass
Image used with permission: Ricraider, WikiCommons, CC BY-SA 3.0.