Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-30
u. s. AIRMAN
IN THRILLING
FIGHT FOR LIFE
R e G a in S Control of
Plane in Face of
Fierce Gale
Terrible Experiences of Assist
ant Chief of Army Air Ser
vice in Same Storm That
Caused Death Fliers at
Indian Head, Maryland

| luuidu I1cdu, VldI ylduu
| Washington, May 29-(By The AS
ISOLATED Press)-Brigadier General
| William Mitchell, assistant chief of
the army air service and formerly in
command of all American air forces
in France. had a narrow escape from
death yesterday in the storm in
which the army Curtiss Eagle am
bulance plane crashed with Il loss of
seven lives.
Although he faced danger in many
forms on the western front, he ad
mitted today that he never felt closer
to death than last evening when the
single scatter pursuit plane in which
he was returning to Washington
from Langley Field was twisted out
of his control and tossed at the
mercy of the storm more than 1000
feet above the earth.
That he finally was able to regain
control of his plane and run before
the wind until outsof the storm area
and reach Boiling Field by a round
about rote that took him almost to
Richmond, Virginia, as as much
luck as anything else, he declared
today. The officer told The story in a
! matter fact manner, emitting
many of the details but it was posi-
bic to piece together from his account
and that of others who made the
flight at the same time, a thrilling
: story of danger and adventure in the
cloudy.
He left Washington yesterday
morning, in company with several
other machines, to review aerial
maneuvers of the great concentra-
ton OF army aircraft at Langley
Field, gathered there for the army
navy bombing tests to be conducted
in June and July. He was flying a
SEQ pursuit plane capable of a
speed OF 120 miles an hour
J Il left Langley Field about six
O'Clock in the single scatter, accom-
panied by Captain William Ocker in
another SEQ" said the general.
1--WE flew in formation and although
! 1t was already quite dark we expect
ed to beat the storm out. After a
snort time We found that the low "
| ing cloud ceiling was only about 100
feet from the earth. We could sec the
storm south of Washington and ap-
parently about over Indian Head,
| Maryland. Almost before we knew
what was happening we were caught
IN the midst of it, a terrific wind with
nan or rain and plenty of lightning
ana thunder. AS we crossed the Poto-
| mac the wind was coming out of the
north in great gusts, causing my shin
to twist and dip badly. Captain
ecker was behind me, but we could
scarcely see a ships length ahead of
us. it was like driving into a solid
wall of black
IL was apparent that we had our
choice of three alternatives. One was
to land at once, with practical GER
tainty of a bad crash. another was to
turn and try to get back to a land
ing at Langley Field. but in the
storm that course entailed a danger
OF missing the field and being blown
out to sea. The last alternative was
to turn and run away from tie storm
and try to go around it or between
two storm areas. That | decided to
do. In the meantime my ship was
being thrown into a succession of
spinning dives, some of them 800 feet
long and it was during one of these
that the problem of turning away
from the storm was solved for me for
when ! came out of it | was heading
on the return path.
! II estimate that the wind must
have been blowing at least 100 miles
an hour up there for my plane, with
the engine full open should have been
doing 120 miles an hour and actual
ly was hardly making Roadway
against the wind. / have been in
some bad storms in the time I have
been flying. I have seer a storm I'M
der me blowing trees down in its
path, but I never was in such a storm
as that before.
1--WE recrossed the Potomac and
raced almost back to Richmond, then
cut in between two storms, doubled
back over Indian Head and reached
Boiling Field at 1920"
After he arrived at Inns home after
having been in the air more Titan six
hours during the day, General Mitch
ell learned that Captain B. s. Wright,
who had started at about the same
time. he did from Langley Field in a
Fokker plane. had crashed at Rock
Point. Maryland, after dropping be-
hind in tn race home. General
Mitchell left Immediately for Rock
Point by motor where he found Cap
tain Wright uninjured but the FOX
ker demolished. 1t was not until his
return home at two o'clock this
morning. after bringing Captain
! Wright back to the city, that the gen.
eral received his first information re-
.arding the fatal crash Of the big
| Eagle.