The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-30
GENERAL MITCHELL ! NARROWLY ESCAPES
 DEATH IN A|RPLANE
Machine Is Twisted Out of Control and Tossed at the Mercy of Storm 1000
 Feet Above Earth
Rx Associated Prass

Washington, May 29.-Brigadier Gen. eral William Mitchell, assistant chief of the army air service and formerly in France had narrow escape from death yesterday In the storm in which the army Curtis Eagle ambulance plano crashed with q loss of seven lives. Although he faced danger in many forms on the western front. Gen. eral Mitchell admitted today that he never felt closer to death than lass evening when tho single scatter pur- suit plane in which he was returning to Washington from Langley field waa twisted out of his control and tossed at the mercy of the storm more than 1000 feet above tho earth.
 He finally was able to regain con- troI of his plane and run before the wind until out of the storm area ana reach Boiling field by round about route that took him almost to Rich mond His escape was as much luck as anything else, General Mitchell de- clared today. The officer told the story in the matter -of-fact manner, omit ting many of the details, but 1t was possible to piece together from his ac- count and that of others who made the flight at about the same time thrilling story of danger ana auVen- ture in the clouds.
 General Mitchell left Washington in company with several other ma chimes to review aerial naaneuvers at the great concentration of army craft at Langley field, gathered there for the army-navy bonahler AeSA stc pe Y ss sS r1 lts4s \ s Issw MI ss+ss flying sE-5 pursuit plane, capable of a speed of 12o miles an hour.
 T left Langley field about 6 o'clock in the single accompanied by Capt. William Ocker in another SE-5," said the general. We flew in forma- tion. and although 1t was already quite dark, we expected to beat the storm out. After a short time, we found that the low-lying cloud ceiling was only about HOO feet from earth. We, could see the storm south of Washing ton, and apparently about over Indian Head Md. Almost before we knew what was happening, we were caught in the midst of 1t, 8 terrific wind with hail or rain and plenty of lightning and thunder As we crossed the Poto- mac the wind was coming out of the north in great gusts causing my ship to twist and dip badly. Captain Ocker was behind me, but we could scarcely see ships length ahead of us It was like driving into solid wall of black
 Decides to Outrun Storm
 "It was apparent that we had our choice of three alternatives. One was to land at once. with practical certain ty of bad crash; another was to turn and try to get back to landing as 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 the storm, and try to go around it. or between two storm areas. That was what I decided to do. In the meantime, my ship was being thrown into & succession of spinning dives, some of them 300 feet long, and 1t was during one of these that the problem of turning away from the storm was solved for me, for when I came out of it, I was heading on the return path.
 q 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 do ing 120 miles an hour, and actually was hardly making headway against the wind. I have been in some bad storms in the time I have been flying, I have seen a storm under me blowing trees down in its path, but I never was in such storm as that before.
 We crossed the Potomac. and raced almost back to Richmond. then out in between two storms, doubled back over Indian Head. and reached Boiling field at 7:20"
 After he arrived at his home, after having been in the air more than six hours during the day, General Mitchell learned that Capt. B. S. Wright, who had started at about the same time ha did from Langley field in Fokker plane, had crashed at Rock Point, Md, after dropping behind In the race for home. General Mitchell left immedi- ately for Rock Point, where le found Captain Wright uninjured, but the Fokker demolished. It was not until his return home at o'clock this morn ing. after bringing Captain Wright back to the city, that he received his first information about the fatal crash of the big Eagle.