Norwich bulletin., 1921-05-31
Seeking Cause of
 AirpIane Accident
Generally Conceded That Lieut.. .Ames Had Not Lost
 His Head.

/ Washington, May disappointment of a board of three officers of he army air service to investigate the circumstances surrounding. the accident in which five army men and two civilians lost their lives when a big army Curtiss-Eag gle ambulance crashed to the earth in q severe storm near Morganstown, Md, saturday evening, was announced today by Major NJ. F. Scanlon, commandant al Boiling Field.
 Captain w. C. Ocker, who was caught In the storm himself while flying here from Langley Field in an SE-5 single seat plane, Is senior member of the board. The others are Lieutenant P. C. Wilkins, who was the first army officer to go out to the scene of the crash and take charge cf the bodies. and Liegtenant Leroy Wolfe. They will endeavor to determine, among other things, whether the crash was the result of any defect in design or equipment of the airplsne, or of any mistake or mismanag cement on the part of the pilot, Lieutenant S. Ames. and whether the five army men met death in line of duty.
 Flying officers stationed in the city and a Boiling Field asserted emphatic ally today their belief that Lieutenant Ames had not Host his head" in the storm and therefore been in a measure, at least, responsible for the accident. He was one of the best and coolest pilots | in the service and was familiar with the big Curtise plane. they declared. They were also inclined to discredit reports | that the wrecked machine was defective l in design. Major Scanlo1 declared that he l had piloted similar plane, without the ! asplularce equipments. to New Yorw. with eight passengers recently and found | it satisfactory in every way.
 The board of investigation visited tht | scene of the wreck today and took the testimony of persons who were nearby i when the Eagle crashed. They made . ' careful study of the wreckage and aft erwards had it burned. as it was con- sidered unsanitary. No part of the plan- | was salVageable. officials said. adding that army aviators would not fly in plane carrying any equipment taken iron | the wrecked machine anyway. l. seemed probah.e that the details of the acciden
 would never be known, as every man il
 tRA plane was killed. An examination O
 the personal effects of the victims show
 ed that six of the seven watches hat
 stopped at 6.20 ?. m., fixing the eXac
 time of the crash, 1t was believed. he yon6 dispute. The seventh watch stop ped at 6.25. The board was expected |
 finish it's inquory tonight and report {
 hdJoT FNtduion t"iii'iiVN. A huiipeT V
 photographs were taken of the wrecke
 machine.
 Brigadier General William Mitchell
 assistant chief Of army aviation. tods 1 reiterated the statement that Saturday
 air accident furnished a dramatic illus
 tration of the need for centralized cor
 trol of aeronautics, properly marked a
 ways. frequent landing fields, direction;
 wireless communication with planes
 the air and hourly weather reports ai
 the outstanding needs of aviation toda he asserted.
 They can only be obtained throughol the country, he said. by placing all av ation under a single control The Unite
 States is as yet only forty per cent. maj
 ped aerially, he added.