At some point, his wife requested a divorce and he fell into debt. He flew to Reno, Nevada on 6 May 1964. The next day Gonzales was on his return flight: Pacific Air Lines Flight 773. He shot and killed both pilots, and then himself. The Fairchild F-27 crashed, killing all 44 people on board. Investigation showed Gonzales had taken out a $100,000 life insurance policy for his wife.
