The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-09-25
ARMY BOARD TO
CRASH OF
BOMBING PLANE
Searchlights Could Not Have
Blinded Pilot Davis in Smash
Fatal to Six FIiers.
PURPLE LAND MIST NOT
CAUSE OF SIDE-SLIP
Machine Fell While Banking
and Every Infiammable OBJ
ject on 1t Was AbIaze.
(6y The Associated Press)


MINEOLA, N. Y, Sept. 24.-Prepa-
rations We're under way today for an
army board of inquiry into the crash
of Martin bombing plane which
killed six army men at Mitchell field
last night, at the. conclusion of the
mimic air attack on the land forces
at the cantonment.
The cause of the crash will possibly
never be known. One of the six vic
Tins it was reported unofficially at
the field was "stowaway" Those
killed were?
First Lieut. Raymond E. Davis,
army pilot, of Langley FielG Va;
First Sergeant Thomas Benfield of
| Chicago; Corporal David 4. Stivens,
New York; Private Edward Kane.
who left no home address; Private
,, Henry Nichols, Carr Hill, Texas; Pri-
ham. Mass. All but Lieut.. Davis were
stationed at Mitchell Field.
An unofficial check up of post as
signments of the victims of the trag
edy failed to show that Whitney had
been assigned.
Army officers stress the point in
discussing that the bomber was be-
yond the field of powerful search
lights, which were used in the maneu-
vers. 1t was at first believed that
Davis had become blinded by the brill
liancy of the shaft of light which
criss-c crossed the dark skies. Officers
also disbeIeved that the purple land
mist which drifted down Long Island
w
was recognized as one of the best fly
ers Of bombing planes in the air serv-
ice. ~@r-@SE
The flight of the Martin bomber
was scheduled as q single turn of the
field in order to give officers of the
reserve corps, for whose benefit the
maneuvers are being held, an idea of
the low visibility of a plane at night.
With his hanger lights to guide him,
Lieut. Davis suddenly banked his ma
chine in preparation for landing. AT
she top of the bank, when the wings
of the plane were almost perpendicu-
lar the bomber suddenly side slipped
and fell. A yellow flash of light cut
the dark for a moment as every in
flanlnable object on the plane burned.
her two motors wide open.
Three of the bodies had been thrown
clear of the wreckage. When the
first army surgeon reached the scene
two of the men were breathing. They
died before reaching the army hos
pital.
1t was said by physicians that
Davis body was in such a condition
that it would be impossible to deter
mine whether or not he had been
overcome while banking his plane, or
that his death had occurred from nat
rral causes, resulting in his inability
to operate the plane.
Explaining the application OF the
term "stowaway," to Private Whitney,
il was said that there are a number
of privates and non-commlssloner OF
ficers stationed at the flying field who
have never been in the air. Many OF
these men entered the srvice in the
belief that flying would boone an
everyday occurrence in their lives.
When they found, instead, that their
lives were filled from reville TO taps
with an endless round OF humdrum
details. which seldom takes them IN
side an airplane hangar, no oppor-
tunity is lost of going up. whitney,
n l. believed, hoped into the plane
in the last minute and during the ex-
element of taking off. Funeral serv-
toes will be held tomorrow at Mitchell
field for the six victims, after which
their bodies vii be shipped to tnelr
homes.