The New York herald., 1921-02-28
j26 FATAL CRASHES
In AIR mail PLANES
SINCE MAY OF 1918
German Junker Type Craft
Discontinued as Result
of Accidents.
DH-4 STANDS THE TEST
Many Deaths Are Believed
Due to Daredevil and
Careless Tactics.
AVERAGE PAY Is $4,000
Pilots Receive $4,000 a Year
and 5 Cents for Each
Mile They Fly.
AVERAGE PAY Is $4,000
Special Despatch to THE New Yoak H1nALD.

New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Feb. ~. }
THE New YORK HERALD herewith
makes public for the first time a list
of the twenty six fatal accidents in the
United States airplane mail service
since May, 1913, with the cause as
signed to each. 1t shows that two
Of the crashes we're due to test flights
by aviators who attempted to qualify
for the mail service, six due to errors
In Judgment or miscalculation by
pilots with the airplane in good condi-
tion and flying during comparatively
good weather conditions. three due to
error in judgment by the pilot follow
ing failure of the engine, five due to
situations where the pilot ran into
of the ground. and three to defective
gasolene and engine connections In
the arplanes.
The five accidents In which the
pilots lost sight of the ground during
bad weather conditions might have
been avoided, officials believe, had 1t
not been for the daredevil determine
ton of the fliers to continue their
flights. They simply undertook the
impossible, according to the autnori-
ties, with the result that they crashed
into trees or other obstacles which
they were unable to see.
AS a result Of the three accidents
attributed to defective aircraft the
type Of machine known as the German
Junker has been discontinued In the
service. There were eight Of these
originally and four of them were
destroyed, three with fatal accidents,
causing seven Deaths The other
airplanes, 80 per cent. of which are
the DH-4 type, have not been blamed
for any of the accidents.
Pilots Get $4,000 to $4,000 a Year.
Aeroplane pilots IN the mail service
receive $4,000 a year salary and five
cents mile for the distance flown, so
that a regular pilot receives from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year. with the aver.
age In excess Of $4,000 AS a rule he
flies four days a week, approximately
1850 miles. The mechanics are paid
from $1,000 to $4,000 a year, generally
accepted as a high scale of wages
The authorities believe they have the
best pilots and mechanics possible TO
employ.
Here is the list Of the accidents
since tho institution of the service:
c. b. SMITH, pilot. killed at Eliza
beth. N. j.. December 16. 1918. on a trial
flight to demonstrate his qualifications
for the air mail service: he took of from
the ground and pointed the ship straish.
into the air. then crashed to the ground
with the motor running full speed. indl-
eating that he was inexperienced: in
vestigation disclosed that he had mis-
represented his qualifications.
AUGUST THIELE, mechanic, killed
at Dunnellen. ". j.. on January I, 1919
he went there to fix UP an aeropiane
which had been compelled to land, and
while cranking the motor he slipped In
the mud and fell under the propeller.
FRANK MccUsKER, pilot. killed q.
Cleveland. Ohio. May rs. 1919 about
ten minutes after he left Cleveland for
Chicago he evidently discovered FIRE IN
his cockpit: apparently he unbuclxied
his safety belt In order TO fight the FIRE
and was thrown out when the aeroplare
lurched, falling about 900 feet and
breaking his neck. The reason for the
belief that there was Are In the cock
pit is that McClusker's left trouser leg
was slightly scorched. This accident IL
one of the mysteries OF the postal air
service.
CHARLES W. LANBORN. pilot,
killed at Dicks Run. Pa. July. 1919; ne
left Bellefonte for Cleveland on q cloudy
and rainy day; when ten miles out OF
Bellefonte he was heard to circle p num-
Der Of times in the fog, which was
down on the mountain tops: then he
crashed TO the ground. The indications
are that he was lost in the fog
LYMAN w. DOTY. pilot, killed octo.
Der Is 1919: left College Park Md, for
New York and was nearing Baltimore
when he was driven down by heavy fog
and. apparently hunting place to land,
he ran into a tree and crashed 10 the
ground with motor running wide open
the force OF the crash burst gnsolene
tanks which were ignited from the en-
gine and burned the machine and con-
tents pilot instantly killed in the crash