New-York tribune., 1921-05-30
Five Officers, z Civilians
Die Instantly as Wind
HurIs Eagle, Craft TO
Earth Near Washington
Badly Balanced, i
Says Air Expert
Col. Miller, Once Head of
Mitchell Field, and A. G..
Bachelor Among Dead


Associated Press) Seven men, five
of the army and two civilians, were
killed in the wreck of an army Cur
tiss-Eagle ambulance airplane near
Indian Head, Md, forty miles south
east Of Washington, yesterday even
ing in a terrific wind and electrical
| storm.
@~ The dead are:
Lieutenant Colonel Archie Miller,
u. s. A., Washington, holder of Con-
gressional Medal of Honor
Maurice Connolly, of Dubuque,
Iowa, former member of the House
Of Representatives
A. G. Batchelder, OF Washington,
executive chairman of the American
Automobile Association.
Lieutenant Stanley NJ Ames, of
Washington, pilot of the wrecked
plane.
Lieutenant Cleveland W. McDer-
mott, Langley Field, Va.
Lieutenant John M. Pennewell,
Langley Field, Va.
Sergeant Mechanic Richard Blu
menkranz, Washington.
Worst in u. S. Aviation
Army Air Service officers said the
accident was the worst in the history
Of aviation in the United States,
either military or civil, and that it
was one of the few in which all the
passengers in falling plane had
been killed almost instantly.
The ship struck the ground nose first
and the impact was so great that the
big 4oo-horsepower Liberty motor in
the front end of the craft was torn
from its chassis and thrown baek into
the cockpit on top of the pilot and the
passengers. All of the bodies we're
badly mutilated.
The Curtiss-Eagle was returning
from trip to Langley Field, near New
port News, Va, and had just crossed
the Potomac River, when it ran into
the storm which had passed over Wash
ington an hour before. The exact
cause of the accident probably never
will be known, as those in the machine
were dead when witnesses from Nor
gantown, little village near Indian
Head, reached the scene.
Investigation Ordered
An official investigation of the acci-
nY4 h., !
CATION it is possible an inquiry will hs
made into the general design and prac-
| tical use by the army of such ma
chine, the only one of its type in the.
army service fitted with ambulance
equipment. Air service officers said
to-day that when the plane left Langley
field 1t apparently was in perfect run
nlng condition, and had been function
ing properly during several hours in
the morning and afternoon.
Captain De Lavergne, air attache of
the french Embassy, who made the trip
IN the Eagle from Washington. said
tonight that in his opinion the Eagle
was unbalanced.
The machine was badly balanced"
Captain De Lavergne said. SIT had a
small motor, of only 400 horse-nower.
The weight was too much. The niIot
couio not control it. I declined 20 re-
| turn IN 1T and came back by boat.a
representatives Campbell, of Kansas
chairman of the House Rules Comno;t.
tee, and Walsh, of Massachusetts. who
went to Langley Field in the EAGLE
also returned to Washington by boat
Mr. Campbell said tonight the element
o! sa1ety had not entered into their de-
clslon not to return in the Eagle. that
both of them were seasick and the air
IN the closed plane was bad.
Air Bumpy on Trim
IF the ship had been open we would
have returned in it." said Mr. Co.
Dell. :! suggested to Walsh that ,po
return by boat. He was seasick and
olont 1eei very steady. We had been
~. mioie man TWO hours at sea in Mar
ments oAperl-
"on the way down to Langley Field
IN sne ar was rough and very bunny
we had wonderfully good pilot Ha
would run into an air bank az ;e -
was a hillside and then the nachins
would drop, sometimes more than 100
Brigadier General Mitcheu ...;..
ant chief of the Army Air Serv;cs sssns.s SnI,s
accompanied the Eagle TO I.anglnv
Eleld and who had an exciting baf+Is
WITH the storm during his return aiobf
SAID Lieutenant Ames, piloting 49,
Eagle, was considered one of the bast
pilots IN the service and that his shin
apparently was in perfect condition
we felt no concern for his safetv~ y
said the General sand when the Eagiie
eircled over the field a couple of t;nas
before strengthening out on the north
cry cry course for Washington it was
running perfectly. We waved a esoodhS,
from the field, expecting that he h;y
snip would pc in Washington befors
we We're ready to leave Langley"
The Eagle left Langley Field At
aeons NJ 4.su ?. m. yesterday. The time
the hour at which watch carried by
Mr. Connolly was found to havs
Trees Prevented Landing
:. Mavsi val officers officers at Indian Head who
saw the plane go down, decIare tbae
Pilot Ames tried to bring his ,as mscbsss saas