The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-30
Accident Worst in History OF
Aviation in United
States.
BIG MOTOR BREAKS LOOSE
AS SHIP STRIKES GROUND
French Officer Gives as His
Opinion That Ship Was
Unevenly Balanced.
(ey The Associated Press.I

WASHINGTON, May 29.-Seven
men. five of the army and two civili-
ans. were killed in the wreck of an
army Curtiss-E Eagle Ambulance air.
pane near Indian Head, Md, forty
miles southeast OF Washington, yes
,erday evening in terrific wind and
electrical storm.
The dead are:
Lieutenant Colonel Archie Miller, U
| S. A., NJ. p.
Maurice Connolly, of Washington.
A. c. Bachelor, of Washington
chairman of the Board of the Ameri-
can Automobile association.
Lieutenant Stanley M. Ames, oi
Washington, pilot of the wrecked
plane.
Lieutenant John M. Pennewill, Lang
ley Field, Va.
Sergeant Mechanic Richard Blumen
hanz. Washington.
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 of the passen-
gers in falling plane had been killed
almost instantly.
The ship struck the ground nose
| first and the force of impact was SC
great the big 400 horse power liberty
motor in the front end Of the craft was
torn from its chassis and thrown back
into the cockpit on top of the pilot and
the passengers. All of the bodies were
badly mutilated. @
The Curtis Eagle was returning from
a trip to Langley field, near Newport
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 ma
chine were dead when witnesses from
IMorgantown, a village near Indian
Head reached the scene.
An official investigation of the ac-
cident will be ordered. At the inves-
ugation it is possible an inquiry will
be made into the general design and
practical use by the army of such a
machine the only one of it's type in the
army air service. Air service officers
said today that when the plane left
langley field it was apparently in per-
lect 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 it was his opinion
he Eagle was unbalanced.
"The machine was badly balanced. ?
Captain de Lavergne said. at had a
small motor of only 400 horse power
The weight was too much; the pilot
could not control it. / declined to re-
turn in it and came back by boat.
Representatives Campbell, of Kan
SAG, chairman of the house rules com
mittee and Walsh, Of Massachusetts,
who went to Langley Field in the
Eagle, also returned to Washington by
boat. Mr.. Campbell said tonight the
element of safety had not entered into
their decision not to return in the
Eagle; that both of them were seasicl
and the air in the closed plane was
bad.
II the ship had been open We would
have returned in it," said Mr.. Camp.
L
return by boat. He was seasick and
didn't feel very steady. We had beer
more than two hours at sea in Mar.
.n bomber observing bombing exper.
inents.
On the way down to Langley field
t ,ne air was rough and very bumpy
We had a wonderfully good pilot. Ht
"ould run into an air bank like 1t was
mlside and then the machine would
uop sometimes more than 100 feet
bngadier General Mitchell, assistant
Siet Of the army air service, who ac-
Vmpanied the Eagle to Langley field
aao who had an exciting battle with
ue storm during his return flight. said
~eu'enant Ames, plotting the Eagle
S regarded as one of the best pilots
y the service and that his ship was
'pparently In perfect condition.
we felt no concern for his safety
ru the general. And when the
asle circled over the field couple OF
'les before Strengthening out on the
Nherly course for Washington 1t was
nlng perfectly. We waived good
nv rom the field, expecting that the
snip would be in Washington be-
NJ We We're ready to leave Langley
tHe Eagle left Langley field at 4: &c
m Yesterday. The time Of the wreck
OsAe paced at 6:25 p. m, the hour al
,1a watch carried by Mr.. Con-
y, NJ" was found to have stopped. Ma
Cucers at Indian Head who saw
N pane go down, declare that the pi.
u'ed TO bring his machine dowr
yn the full force OF the storm
N'A but that he was prevented from
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