The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-12-20
CONGRESSMAN AMONG FIVE
killed As AIRPLANE TWISTS
into NOSE dive And CRASHES
Representative Kaynor Dies
as Huge Fokker Falls
After Takeoff.
MOTOR FAILS SUDDENLY
Tragedy Occurs as Party
Leaves Washington on
Holiday Jaunt.

BIZ United Press
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-One Of
the worst airplane tragedies Of the
year occurred here today at Boiling
field, when five men, including Rep
resentative Kaynor (Rep., Mass.)
and his secretary, Stanley B. Lowe,
were killed instantly.
They were bound to arrange fam
lily Christmas festivities when their
lives were crushed out without an
instants warning.
The dead:
Representative William K. Kay
nor, Springfield, Mass, member of
the house military affairs commits
tee.
Stanley B. Lowe, 40, his secre-
tary, Springfield, Mass, former
newspaper man.
Captain Harry A. Dinger, crack
army pilot.
Private vladimir Kuwma, army
air corps.
Arthur A. McGill friend Of Rep
resentative Kaynor.
First Time in Air
The party had planned first to go
to Springfield, Mass, where Lowe
was TO see his newborn baby and
bring his family back to Washing
ton for Christmas. Later it was
planned to inspect national guard
units at Hartford. 1t was loves
first time in the air.
1t all happened with sickening
swiftness. The giant three-motored
Fokker just had taken off from Boil
inf field, and had risen 800 feet in
the air.
Gracefully 1t began to curve
toward the north, when suddenly
one motor failed and the huge craft
shot downward. In a second the
tragedy was complete.
The Fokker hit the ground not
more than seventy-four feet from
where Lieutenant Cuddihy, ace navy
pilot, crashed a few weeks ago. That
hole now is marked with two red
flags.
Not Buried Far
Unlike Cuddihys plane, the FOX
ker was not buried far into the
ground. 1t hit first on the right
side, burying the right motor and
wheel. The center motor was buried
just level with the ground, while the
left motor made q two-foot hole in
the ground and then bounced back.
The rear part Of the fuselage and
the rear part of the cabin were left
intact. The cabin door was not
touched. The glass in the door was
not broken. Some of the chairs in
the cabin were not even scratched.
Dinger and Kuwma were in the
cockpit. They were killed instantly.
Dinger's watch stopped at 9:35 a. m
The three men, riding in the cabin,
were thrown forward when the
plane hit and also were killed in
stantly.
Although the fore part Of the
plane was smashed badly, there was
little difficulty in getting the bodies
out.
Wreckage Cleaned Up
Within half an hour after the
crash, the fusiIage had been dragged
out by tractor to dump on the
edge of the field. Soldiers were busy
digging out the motor and the
Wreckage was all cleaned up by
1890.
Ofcials and fellow congressman
were stunned by the accident.
President Hoover learned of it from
Secretary of War Hurley, who was
on his way to the cabinet meeting
when he heard of the crash.
Mayor General Summerall, chief
of staff, said Captain Dinger was
one of the best pilots in the army
air corps. For that reason he had
been selected to fly planes bearing
congressman on special missions.
Little could be learned about Nc
Gill, an intimate friend of Kaynor.
He left a forwarding address in the
name of Mrs. Sullivan Burgess,
Scarsdale, N. Y.
Asked for Plane
Representative Kaynor asked As
sistant Secretary of War Dawson
Thursday for plane to take him TO
Massachusetts.
Dawson assigned his own plane
for the trip-the tri-motored Fox
ker. It was fitted especially with a
desk and Dawson had flown thou
sands Of miles in it, usually taking
his stenographer and using the
plane as aerial office.
Dawson personally selected Cap
tain Dinger as the pilot because Of
his high reputation.
Eye-witnesses declared the take
of was perfect and that in starting
the turn at the heighth he did, Cap
tain Dinger was doing the Gus
tomary thing.