The New York herald., 1921-05-31
Major Turner'S Escape.

Major I. c. Turner. in charge OF Ma
rine Corps aviation. 1t became known
to-day. had a narrow escape in the
same storm which caused the wreck of
the Eagle and sent a Fokker plane,
pi1oted by Capt. b. 5. Wright. crashing
TO the earth at Rockpoint Md. and
giving Brig.-Gen william Mitchell,
assistant chief Of army aviation, and
Capt Ocker. his aid some thrilling
moments. He was flying from Langley
Field to Boiling Field and ran into the
outer edge of the storm when about
over Dahlgreen, Va. He headed for the
river, thinking to make the marine land
ing field at Quantico, Va.
When the full force of the storm hit
me l was flying at an altitude of about
100 feet" Major Turner said to-day
81 was In two seat plane with Lieut..
Sanderson as passenger When we
caught the direct blast OF the wind our
speed was cut to five miles an hour
and almost before we knew what had
hit VS. We we're knocked down from
LOO feet 10 about four hundred In one
abrupt drop The chip wes entirely out
OF control II was just as though the
hand Of a giant had reached up from
the earth and snatched us down 700
feet.
THE wind changed from southeast to
north almost instantly and the resulting
cross currents and air pockets were ter
rlbe n rained harder and the wind
went down as we came in sight OF GUAM
tico. and as we circled over the field
there the sun came out for few min
utes and we made q landing. will
never fly In another thunderstorm, un-
der any conditions"
After he had made hts landing Major
Turner found the propeller of his plane
badly split lie took another machine
and completed the trip TO Boiling Field.
Aviation needs shown.
Gen. Mitchell to-day reiterated the
statement that Saturdays air accident
furnished dramatic illustration OF The
need for centralized control or aeronau-
tics. Properly marked sirways. frequent
landing fields. directionsl wireless COM
munlcation with planes In tho air and
hourly weather reports are the outstand-
Ing needs OF aviation to-day. he as-
serted.
They can only be obtained throughout
the country he said. by placing NIL avi-
alton under a single control. The United
states ls ne yet only 40 per cent mapped
aerially he added.
What we need is 2 Congressional
STUDY uI INC entire bNlhAAbU N&AuatI0N M
this country from the standpoint Of air."
said tho General THE older officers.
who do most Of the teHtifyinR on tho
subject. are not flyers. for the most
part"
The United States. Gen. Mitchell said
has only about 400 military airplanes OF
nll types available. most Of them obso-
lete. The present concentration At
Langley Field Ia preparation for the
joint army-navy bombing tests next
month represents the nation's real
strength. he declared adding that the
army entirely lacks modern pursuit
planes.
Great Britam's air service is organ
izod into twenty-sevcn sdUadrons total
ling. With reserves. more than 5000 me-
chimes. Cen. Mitchell asserted. and js
being Increased by seven squadrons.
Japan is organizing an air force Of one
division ~ ! 200 ships for combat and
bombing work and about GOO obscrva-
ton planes. he said. Japan already has
sbout 500 airplanes N service and IL
buying more n the Most modern tvpes