New-York tribune., 1918-05-18
Wing of Giant Caproni Col
lapses During Test Flight
at Mineola
Side Slide Blamed
For atal Accident
Daring Italian Had Fought
in Alps and Set Air
Records Here
,speesai Dispatch to The 7r.bnme)

Especial Dispatch to The 7r1bnne)
MINEOLA, May 17.-Captain An
.on;o Silvio Resnati, the Italian avi-
.,or who had flown and fought above
,bs Alps and whose skillful guidance
II the mighty Caproni planes had
hesn the marvel of Eastern America,
vss killed day when a Caproni ma
.h;ne fell with him on Field No. 1,
here.
The great airplane had never left the
oround before. 1t was built in Italy
and assembled here and had been
tested with the utmost care by Resnati
himself yet he had barely left the
sround when it was noticed that the
left wing sagged. Before he reached
an altitude of 200 feet the wing crum-
pled up and the huge plane, built to
carry tons, crashed to the ground with
its single occupant.
Side-Slide Caused Accident
Major E. l.. Canady made public to-
night the findings of the board of in
ouiry. of which Major Thomas Hitch
cock was head, in the following state
ment:
1--WE find that the accident to Cap
tain Resnati occurred as follows: He,
in order to avoid hitting a hillock in
the ground, rose too quickly in the
air and side-slid, causing the accident.
His machine was not an American
made machine, but was made in Italy
and assembled on this side"
The field was crowded with officers
this noon when the record-breaking
Italian aviator came out to groom his
mammoth steed for its first flight. 1t
was Caproni biplane, similar to that
in which he cut skating figures above
Manhattan during the second Liberty
Loan campaign. the wake of his pas
sage tanning the astonished faces of
those who reered from windows in the
Metropolitan Life tower.
Machine Tested Carefully
Struts and bolts were examined care
fully by Captain Resnati, who likewise
twanged, the wire stays, inclining his
head to.catch the first suspicious note
in their vibrant response. He found
all secure. The engines ran, to his
accustomed ears, as smoothly as an
eight,day clock.
Apparently the Italian mechanics who
had assembled the machine had turned
ont fawless flier. Captain Resnati
aad sought and obtained permission to
% the first to try it. 1t was the plane
IA which he hoped soon to make a non
stop fight to Chicago.
he climbed into his seat, buckled
himself In and waved his hand in fare
we'll and as a signal to clear the way.
Ihe engine roared and he sailed off.
Propelled by $50 horsepower and carry
ing only g small fraction of it's weight
capacity of five and a half tons, the
Caproni climbed eagerly. Spectators
noticed at once that it seemed to be tilt
ing, but before they had time to COM
ment upon the fact the crash came.
Left Wing Collapses
:, When the plane had barely cleared
sne treetop level its dropping left wing
collapsed completely and down it slid.
Inc entire incident was marvellously
swift IN passage, yet marvellously clear
IN every detail, owing to the proximity
Of the aviator. In the space of time
mat man might take to raise his hand
70 shield his eyes from the sun the
pane left the ground, tilted and
crashed to earth, an utter wreck.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE news
VI captain Resnati's death was a shock
70 MS numerous admirers here. "I
aaVe shared the admiration of all
americans for Captain Resnati," said
secretary Baker. ellis loss will be Sc
sereIy felt by our aviators, and to a
oegree by the whole army"
Nesnati, still strapped to his seat,
was puried in the debris and barely
npfeathlng when extricated. He died as
ne was being carried into the hospital
lew hours later American aviators
nefe taking to the air almost beside
she tangled wreckage that had been the
tt0mlng queen of the skies. The army
f fa'hlng programme brooks no DELAYS
ieF accidents.
Made Record Flights
Captain Resnati was TWENTY-FIVE
iears old. He had fought in seven
ua.tles on the Isonzo front and been
s.nd FUNDED five times. Last November he
s,;a sS;;aolished an American record by car
vving eight passengers from Hampton,
,n, Nj, 70 Mineola, a distance of 800
aoMnues, on IN four hours. On September
at Langley Field, Va, he set an
Isner new mark on this side of the At
auto sn M Mny carrying twelve passengers to
~ aititude of 1900 feet-1, 900 feet
Haa HHsner than any single aviator had
hown here before.