The Washington herald., 1922-07-26
Herbert ]. Fahy, Former
Army Officer, Breaks
Leg in Crash.
STEEL ROD PIERCES
LOUIS SWANN'S BODY
Motor Skips and Wind
Tits Craft, Causing
Wreck.

one man was killed and another
injured yesterday afternoon about
$50 o'clock when an airplane in
which they were flying nose-dived
zoe feet to the ground on a field
at the Virginia end of the High
way bridge.
The dead man is:
Louis NJ. Swan. % years old,
171s Kenyon street northwest.
The injured man is:
Herbert ]. Fahy, % years old,
S29 Twenty-second street, north
northwest.
Fahy gained nation-wida notoriety
by flying his plane over the Lincoln
Memorial while President HarIiag
was delivering the dedica .ory ad-
dress, drowning out the IxecutiNe { $
voice with the noise of his motor.
The plane, partly owned by Fahy,
crashed after dipping twice, and
was driven five feet into the ground
by force gathered in falling. Swans
body was mangled. but life was not
yet extinct when persons running
to the scene reached him. lie was
placed in an automobile which
started for Washington. but died in
the arms of ]. T. Malone. of the
White House Beach, as they were
crossing the Highway Bridge.
Fahy's Leg Broken.
} Fahy suffered a broken right leg,
'deep lacerations about his head and
shoulders and possible internal in
ljuries- Physicians at Emergency
Hospital. where he was taken fol-
lowing the accident. stated he was
I in no danger.
The airplane. a Curtis-JN., two
passenger machine, took it's fatal
dive when the engine missed and
the wind caught it under the left
wing. This cause was assigned by
Paul b. Ketchner. of Rockville. Md.
part owner of the machine with
Fshy- Two weeks ago. he said, the
machine became 'balky" and it was
decided by the two to discontinue
flights until II could be put in first
class condition. Yesterday MORN
ing test fight was held in
which it developed that the mo-
tor was not functioning properly.
The flight yesterday afternoon.
which resulted in the death of
Swan and the possible fatal injury
of Fahy- was a second test in an
effort to locate the cause of the
trouble.
Dig Victims From Wreck.
Fifteen minutes were required to
dig the victims from beneath the
wrecSage. according to o. w. weIch.
virginia State policeman. who was
among the first to reach the fallen
nj 10
nearby. who came with axes and
crowbars Fahy was rescued first,
but steel rod piercing the body
of Swan retarded the work of res
cuing him.
According to r. L. Bilger. a shore
camper. who was an eyewitness to
the crash. the plane. circled twice
around the trees on the edge OF the
neld, dipped twice and then dropped
like a plummet. nose first. to the
ground.
swan was employed about two
weeks ago by ketchner as a me-
chanic at the field. which he and
Fahy maintained for sightseeing
purposes. He was in the air service
during the war. specializing on Lib
erty airplane motors. He is sur
vived by his father and mother, Mr..
and Mrs. Fred Swan His father is
District manager of the. Eastman
Kodak Company.
Fahy., formerly a lieutenant in the
Army Reserve Air Service, has been
frequently in the public eve re-
GENTLY. He first came into p-omI-
|nence when he challenged Repre-
sentative Manuel Herrick, of okla
|homa- to a daredevil fight over
|WashinGton following remarks Her
|rick is alleged to have made about
Fahy's flying. The challenge was
accepted by the Congressman, and
the pair went to the War Depart
nent to request the loan of an army
plane for he flight.
Request is Denied.
Secretary Weeks had the request
under Amusement when Fahy flew
with his airplane over the Lincoln
demoriaf during the dedication ex-
ercises May 81. seriously interfer-
ng with President Hardine's
fedicatory address For this Of
ense. Fahy's commission as second
lieutenant in the army reserve
forps was revoked. Following this
ction. Secreary Weeks declined to
pan the plane on the ground that
'ahy was not an army pilot.
Last night, Ketchner Is said to
ave ordered the wreckage burned
b prevent its being photoeraphed.