Arizona republican., 1919-02-03
No One Injured In Nose Sm mashes At Ingleside Grounds - Pliers Find The Soil Too Soft.


 The Soil Too Soft.
 The first airplane crash of the his tory of Phoenix occurred yesterday af- ternoon, when the first army air squadron which has visited this city arrived from Tucson en route from Ellington Field, Houston, Tex, to San Diego and landed on the golf grounds of the Ingleside country club. Of the four machines, two smashed. None of the birdmen were injured. Blame for the accident was laid by the aviators on the soft condition of the soil of the landing field.
 Although only two of the big De- Havilands suffered accident, the other two, the first and last to land, narrow ly escaped. their wheels blowing deep into the sandy course. The less for tunate machines tipped forward when their landing wheels were clogged in the earth, one turning completely over forward The other halted in mid air standing periously on it's nose.
 As as result, the army airmen will not be able to continue their flight westward from Phoenix today, as was planned and may be delayed here seV- eral days. It will take some time to repair the plane which turned turtle, and Ellington Field will have to be sent to for spare parts.
 It was only at 2:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon that it was definitely an nounced from the Chamber of Com merce that the planes, which had been delayed in leaving Tucson, would start ] their flight from that city at o'clock, landing at the Ingleside grounds. Be fore that time it was not known wheth- CT the squadron would land here at Hall Field. which had been accepted for army use by the military aerOnau tics at Washington, or the other field offered.
 Made Fast Time
 The fight from Tucson, Lieutenant Louis Lewyn, official photographer of the party which is mapping aerial routes, said, was made without incl dent and in record time. the distance of about a hundred and ten miles by air line being made in practically an hour of flying time.
 The squadron was sighted from the Ingleside grounds, where a small crowd of perhaps three hundred had gathered the few who knew definitely when and where the planes would alight-at
 
 feet squadron formation in the shaps of a large diamond. The planes drew rapidly nearer and the hum of theil motors being heard almost as soon as they were seen. After the great army birds were sighted against the mountains to tho south, they circled around to the west passing between Scottsdale and PhOe nix. then heading for the marked field
 Continues It's Fight The first landing of the squadron was made 5:20 o'clock. when the frs of the DeHaVilands-the first of it! kind ever seen in this district, and on' of the best two-seated models made il this country during the war-took tn ground for a perfect landing. Trouble was immediately encountered in tn shape of the wet sandy soil on tn, grounds, but the big plane came safe ly to a stop, it's wheels buried up t the spokes.
 , Lieut.. Searle, commander of tn : squadron. and his companion, Lieuten !, ant Jones, aided by spectator voluu teers wheeled the machine away quick f ly and prepared to signal their com , panions in the air as to the nature 0 , the soil. Both officers were consid erably surprised at the softness of tn , ground.
 { Plane Turns Turtle
 It was the second plane. which land ed shortly after the first, which turne I turtle. It's disaster SO nearly tragic . gave the onlookers a distinct thrill an :. three hundred persons caught thei I breath as the big machine tippe straight forward, poised for a momeu , on it's nose, and fell over with a cras U T ,,4 u Nelson and Billheimer, remaining safe , ly in their seats.
 ' The upper wing of the plane va
 badly damaged in the smash, d mum Der of struts broken, and the propele = snapped. It will take some time 10 et feet repairs on the wrecked machin |, and it is possible that it be left for re
 pairing while the rest of the squadro
 The third machine, like the secont > tipped forward almost as soon as = landed. it's wheels clogging in the sam - Skillful manipulating by it's pilo o Lieut.. Charles V Rugh, saved it frol
 complete catrostrOphe, however, and = stopped in midair, its nose buried U the soil and it's tail high in the ai t The only damage suffered was brok U en propeller, and the plane itself wa S righted without much trouble. It ca n be repaired quickly.
 ,, The last DeHavland to take tf t ground was piloted by Lieutenant Bul = kett, with Sergaent Kane, mechan It of the party, for passenger. Lieu 5, Burkett did not tell his emotions as I : scared to earth within a short distanC n of his two stricken comrade plane O but they can be easily imagined TT ?. landing was effected without misha
 but with plenty of thrill. the plane nal
 rowly escaping the nose dive taken |
 the two others. Its landing was grea }. ly aided at the last minute by Sergeal e Kane, who left his seat and clambere
 back on the tail of the plane in an Q C fort to keep it down.
 Prepare to Stay | While the spectators gathered arouT ,, and took in the novel sight of the fo, n Liberty -motored planes, one lying fl
 on it's back, the aviators lost no tin
 in preparing for the night. Tanl