The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-05-13
Disastrous
Landing Made
By Aviator Here

Lieut.. Walter Ainsiee of Denver.
president OF the Colorado Aviation
Corporation, who made the flight to
Canon City on Wednesday, made a
disastrous landing in Harding's al
falra field. north OF the Canon City
high school building about $50 o'clock
in the afternoon. Lieut.. AinsIee had
a passenger with him at the time but
neither of them were seriously hurt,
although Lieut.. Ainslee sustained a
few minor injuries.
About half an hour before the acci-
dent occurred the aviator took a pas
senger up for flight over the north
ern portion OF town. Everything
passed on nicely until they came back
to the starting point and attempted
landing. when conditions were re-
versed- A great throng of people had
as the machine neared the ground the
crowd rushed to the landing field de-
spite the efforts to keep il back Real
izing the danger of killing somebody
in so small an area. the aviator cir
cled the field once or twice in an eff
fort TO find place where he could
land without danger to the crowd. and
in doing so. when about 20 feet from
the ground. one of the~wings OF the
airpIane became entsngied in the
limbs OF an apple tree and the ma
chine yeered to one side. broken and
helpless. To make matters worse the
machine ''went dead" and the plane
took nose dive to the ground. giving
its occupants a severe jolt. The wings.
propeller and other parts OF the mech
anism were badly broken and a dam
age to the plane OF about $500 was
the result
Believing that II be tried to land In
the field set apart for him somebody
would be killed by the momentum OF
the machine Lieut.. Ainslee decided to
take the chance of losing his own life
and that of his passenger rather than
than imperil the lives OF those who
had thronged the landing place i'm
PEELED by excitement and curiosity. II
was while trying to avoid a sacrifice
OF human life that I.ient Ainslee
swung around in a curve over the
struck an unseen apple tree, the cause
of his undoing.
When the machine fell to the ground
grand rush was made toward II by
the spectators and they crowded about
the aviator and his passenger In the
most. excited manner. although every
effort was made to keep them back.
Many OF the people were wild with
excitement and they literally climbed
over each other for frontrow posi-.
tions. Boys. and in some Instances.
men and women. scrambled for pieces
OF the splintered machine for souven.
irs. which they carried away with
them despite the protest of Lieut..
Ainsiee and his friends. II Is said
the loss OF valuable parts Of the ma.
chine taken away In this manner are
worth several hundred dollars.
was reported that the cause OF
the the unfortunate landing was due
TO an exhaustion OF the gasoIene sup.
ply on the airplane. hut this IA de.
MED by Lieut. Ainelee. who sHys the
accident resulted from his desire to
avoid the sacrifice OF human life on
the landing field. The plane was val
ued at $1,000 and was fully Insured
The plane was dismantied and was
taken 10 the Fremont Auto Company
where It will be rebuilt and Mr. Aims.
lee will leave Canon City In the plane
The repairs will have to be shipped
from the East Lieut. Ainslee SAYS
that such accidents ms the one OF
Wednesday evening are not infrequent
with avlstors .espe, tally when an Mt.
tempt Is made to land in a new and
undeveloped field. He SAYS that II
the people OF Canon CITY will provide
proper landing place where descents
can be made with minimum OF dan
ger. he will make frequent trips here
from Denver during the summer
months.
| Fully 1000 people assembled at the
Harding field "Wednesday evening to
witness the fight