The New York herald., 1921-06-06
AVIATRIX PLUNCES
1900 FEET TO Death
in LOOPING THE LOOP
Laura BrOmwell, Record
Holder Among Women,
Crashes at MineOla Field.
DESCENT UPSIDE DOWN
Thousands See Drop With
Victim Strapped to Seat
OF Plane.
JERKED FROM CONTROL
Accident Due to Slip Say
Pilots Who Watched Swift
Fall to Earth.


girl who in less than two years Of fly
ing became one of the most skilful
woman pilots of the world. crashed to
instant death yesterday afternoon at
Curtiss Field, Mineola. The aviatrix,
held head downward by her safety belt
i.i the rear cockpit Of an overturned
Curtiss "Canpck" plane, dived steeply
to earth from a height of 1900 feet.
Her death. just outside the field
where she had first learned to fly and
where on May 10 she had broken the
worlds record for women by looping
the loop ninety nine times, apparently
was caused by slight mishap. one of
those trifles that sometimes mean
death to the best pilot in the safest
plane.
The other pilots who fly daily from
Curtiss field we're one in the emphatic
assertion that however the accident &C.
CURED Laura Bromwell did not lose her
nerve. Her courage had brought her
unscathed through that greatest of all
perils in the air--fire--and 1t did not
desert her in that last steep dive to
death.
There have been few days this year
so fine for flying as yesterday. Above
Curtiss field. in air as quiet and free
from roughness as a mill pond. Orioles.
Ansaldos and other planes roared Joy
! ously. Above Mitchell Field army planes
Joined in the fun. Below several thou
sand persons. attracted by the unusually
fine day, gathered in Curtss field and
along roads near by to watch the sport.
Started Like Perfect Flight.
Some time after o'clock Miss Bronl-
well, attired in the smart blue uniform
o: lieutenant in the aerial police re-
serve with double wing insignia on her
chest and a gold bar on each shoulder.
climbed into the rear cockpit of the big
winged Curtiss JN-4. This is the type
Of plane used for the primary training OF
Canadian air force men. Miss Bromwell
tucked her light brown hair bobbed for
greater comfort, into her helme., re-
ceived word from the mechanics that the
plane was IN good shape. tried her con-
trolls and shot across the field.
Once off the turf she climbed upward
at a steady rate. In the danger zone
just above the earth. dangerous because
there Is no room for a dive to regain
necessary flying speed in case of a slip.
she held her plane In skilful control and
attempted no stunts. Laura Bromwell.
altough only 23 was old in the ways OF
the air and knew we'll that stunt flying
belongs in the upper regions of the air.
After climbing for about twelve
minutes Miss Bromwell found herself
at an altitude of between $500 and 1000
feet With a quarter of n mile OF clear
air beneath her, she started her evolu-
tions. Her first man9uvre was loop,
short, swift dive downward. a zoom
upward and over, with earth and sky
changing places for an instant. and then
with another swift dive downward with
out slackening speed Miss Bromweli
headed the plane upward again into an
other evolution, which looked 10 those or
the ground like a loop. or a sharp wing
turn. The plane shot upward, turned
over. and hung for a moment, with
motor roaring upside down in space.
Then the Fatal Plunge.
IL was 'utI. llldt lUeAdHI
the aviatrix was head downward. and
at the moment when centrifugal force
strove TO hold her In and gravity to
pull her out OF the cockpit that come
thing happened. The ple5e. fell OUT Of
the evolution. as pilots say. II wavered
for moment. apparently with no hand
on its controlling stick. and then. inpelled
by the motor. swooped swiftly downward,
In a steep glide, with the aviatrix still
held upside down. In this position. gaining
speed in the few seconds of the plunge.
the machine struck the macadam sur
face OF Clinton road. a few hundred
yards from the Curtlss factory and
not far from the former Salvation Army
hotel near Camp Mills.
The force of the crash spread the
plane on the roadbed literally In spin-
ters. The body OF Miss Bromwell was
held in this mass of wood, iron and
linen.
The one clue to that mishap in the
air, the cushion on which the girl had
been sitting, was seen 20 fall from the
plane 10 the roof of the Curtiss factory
a second or SO before the plane struck
the road. To the pilots OF Curtiss Field
II meant that the girl was not sitting
in place In the cockpit after the fall
out OF the loop. 1t indicated that ner
body, though held by strap across the
Continued on Second Page.