Imperial Valley press., 1928-07-28
AVIATOR
DIES AT
AIRPORT
Wing of Plane Breaks as
Lieutenant CrOssan Does
Air Stunt.
KILLED INSTANTLY
Refusal To Join Him
Saves Traffic Officers
From Sharing Fate.

from Sharing rare.
Lieut. Carroll Crossan, 80, reserve
naval airman and flying instructor
at Imperial Airport, was instantly
killed at $40 o clock yesterday af-
ternoon when the plane in which
he was riding crashed to the ground
from an altitude of 1000 feet.
Crossan was attempting an Immel-
J man loop at the time, one Of the
wings of the plane collapsing as he
started to straightcn out after d
800 foot dive.
Only promise to his wife that
he would keep out of airplanes
saved Jim Holcomb Of the state
traffic squad from meeting a SINH
lar fate while Sam Wise, another
member of the state traffic police,
had refused only because stunt fly
ing caused him to lose his appetite
and he was in a hurry to have din
ner. Both witnessed the crash as did
Newport Sproul, mechanic at the
field,
The plane landed with a crash that
could be heard throughout Imperial
and many residents dashed to the
| field. The plane buried its nose for
more than two feet in the hard
ground and from its shattered debris
/ HolcOmb and Wise dragged the
mutilated body of the pilot.
Holcomb and Wise in describing
the accident said that they had gone
to the field shortly after o'clock.
One of the tires of Holcomb S
motorcycle had gone flat and he
went there to repair it. Wise noticed
Crossan tuning up his plane, an old
Jenny belonging to Harry Erskine.
He helped him with the adjustments
and assisted in filling the gasoline
tank.
\ few days prior Holcomb and
Wise had talked with Crossan and
! during their conversation had re-
marked that they had never seen Il
pilot do an lmmelman loop. Crossan
said that he would do one for them
and seeing the two of them present
at the field last night he said he
( would give them the Immelman. ex-
/ hibition.
OFFICERS Refuse Ride
He invited Wise to ride first but
Sam declined. Crossan then asked
Holcomb to go up and had succeed
ed in getting helmet on Jim but
the latter recalled his promise to
his wife to keep out of airships.
SO Crossan took to the air alone.
| He took off nicely and flying
about 800 feet over the hangar
where Holcomb and Wise stood
watching he called to Wise:
''Just about two minutes now,
Sam. He pointed upward indieat-
| ing that he needed more altitude
i fer the stunt.
Just two minutes later Crossan
had attained the desired altitude
and pointed his nose downward for
the lmmelman dive. He gave the
plane full gun and came tearing to-
ward earth. He dove approximately
800 feet straight, then just as he
! pulled back the joy stick to cut
away on the loop the right wing of
! the plane collapsed. The machine
bird hurtled to earth.
/ The body of the dead flyer was
| brought to the undertaking parlors
of Coroner l.. f. Lemons and word
| sent to his father, a. Crossan, who
resides in Los Angeles Inquest into
| the death will be held today.
/ CrosSan was known as a flyer Of
/ exceptional ability and one of the
most clever stunters on the coast,
Crossan was tried in the criminal
! courts of the state three times on
| charges of reckless airplane driving,
the charge growing out of an acei-
dent at Santa Monica in which two
schoolgirls were killed. In discuss-
ing the case here a few days ago.
/ Crossan said that he had made "a
forced landing on the beach, and
| landed his plane in the water %
save it from injury. He had JUST
stepped from the plane, believing
himself fortunate when the bodies
of the two children tloated out from
beneath his ship. He said that ne had
not seen the two girls as he made
the landing. He was freed FROM the
charge only a few weeks ago
1t is expected that the body viii
be taken To Los Angeles for burial
following the inquest to be held
here.
The deceased is survived by his
wife, Violet, Of Los Angeles; one
brother, Leslie b. Crossan ana his
parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Allen Crossan,
all Of Los Angeles. The brother was
on a vacation near San Diego aud
notified of the accident came 20 tho
valley Immediately, arriving late
last night. He Immediately made
arrangements to accompany the
body back to Los Angeles follow
ing the inquest today.