Evening star., 1929-06-07
POTOMAC DRAGGED
| IN EFFORT TO FIND
AIR CRASH VICTIM
AnacoStia Mechanic Drown.
ed, 6 Others Escape, When
Plane PIunges Into River.
PILOT MISJUDGES HEIGHT.
WHEELS STRIKING WATER
Flight Was Last of Speed Tests
Which Had Been in Progress
Three Weeks.

body of Ernest George Joseph Biron
aviation nachinist's mate at the
Anacostia Naval Air Station, killed
late yesterday in the crash of an all
metal cabin monoplane, in which six
other persons we're injured.
The crash occurred when the pilot,
Warren Vine, % years old of Cincin-
! natl. misjudged his height above the
! CLASSY surface of the river during the
| last half of the last lap of the conclud-
| ing run of a series of speed tests to
which the plane was being put. The
wheels dipped into the water and the
plane nosed over, plunging to the bot
! tom in a few seconds.
Thrown Against Board.
| Biron was thrown against the in
| strument board and stunned, going
down with the wreckage. The others
escaped through gaping holes In the
broken fuselage. They we're, in
addition to Pilot Vine:
C. Gilbert Peterson, director of sales
for the Metal Aircraft Corporation OF
Cincinnati, builders of the plane, which
was known as the Flamingo
Norman Emerson Roberts, aviation
machinists mater. third class.
Joseph Charles onka, aviation
| machinist's mate. second class.
Jay Hamilton Whoolery, aviation
machinist's mate. second class.
Alvin r. Bugbee, gunnery sergeant,
United State Marine Corps.
whoolery and Onka are under treat
ment at. the Naval Hospital today for
cuts. bruises, minor Injuries and shock.
Their condition is not regarded as seri-
Gus. The others were given emergency
treatment at the Anacostia Naval Air
Station last night, after which Vine and
Peterson returned to the MayhoWer
Hotel, where they were staying during
the period of test flights.
Naval officers who participated IN
the raising of the wrecked plane from
the river bottom last night were amazed
that six of the seven occupants OF the
plane escaped The plane was reduced
to a mass of torn twisted metal. Moth
ing but the motor can be salvaged, pre-
liminary examination revealed.
FuseIage Broken Open.
When the landing gear and left wing
smashed into the water the fuSelage
was broken open and FIVE Of the sur
vivors escaped through the hole as the
plane was sinking. Vine was thrown
through the celluloid windshield IN
front of the pilots seat.
The four enlisted men clung to one
of the wheels, which was ripped off and
floated to the surface, and to kapok
life cushions. Vine. who could not
swim. was kept afioat by Peterson.
They we're picked up a few minutes
after the crash by members of the crew
Of a tugboatt Of the smoot Sand q q
Gravel Co. of Georgetown, commanded
by Capt. w. c. Slye. The tug was tow
ing two heavily loaded barges when the
plane struck the water a few hundred
yards away Capt. Slye Immediately
cast of the tow line and steamed to
the rescue.
But for the prompt arrival of the tug
it is likely that the loss of life would
have been greater. weakened by their
injuries and the shock, all of the sur
vivors, heavily clothed, had great diff
ficulty keeping afloat.
Last of Speed Trials.
The crash occurred soon after
o'clock yesterday afternoon during the
concluding flight of a long series of
tests which have been in progress dur
ing the past three days.
I'VE were running off the last of a
series of speed trials" it was explained
today by Mr.. Peterson. we had con-
cluded the high-speed and medium
speed flights over the measured Navy
speed course from the Naval Air Sta
ton to the Jones Point light, Just below
Alexandria. We were engaged in the
! cruising speed test, with the Wasp
motor running at 1850 revolutions per
minute.
The first lap and half of the last lap
had been completed and We had just
made the final turn of Jones Point
and were Strengthening out, to return
to the Naval Air Station, which would
have completed the tests.
Vine was flying low as an aid to
keeping the plane in a level course
during the runs. AS we turned we were
flying into the sun, which was very low
The water was CLASSY smooth and the
combination of the glare and smooth
struck the water and the plane went
over with a terrific crash. 1t was all
over in an instant"
So great was the force of the impact
that the blades of the steel propeller
curled up like tin, it was revealed when
the plane was raised.
Distressed Over Death.
Vine and / are greatly distressed
over Biron's DEATH Peterson said.
The accident was due entirely to the
unnatural test conditions. Such an ac-
cident would not have occurred in
commercial; flying, as no commercial
lA8litS arc HlduC AZ SUCH ION dlbltuQeS,
Speed trials of this character are made
only once or twice during the life OF an
entire series of commercial planes"
After picking up the survivors, Capt.
Slye headed for the Naval Air Station
salvage crew aboard the United StaCes
Navy Y.E. % was sent out immedi-
ately from the Washington Navy Yard
to raise the plane. II was Joined by
the U. S. S. GULLY, diving instruction
boat, from the Navy Yard, with diving
under direction of Lieut.. Comdr. w. P.
Clark.
The plane was easily located by the
oil and gasoline Slick" on the surface
of the water. Diving operations were
begun at 5:45, when the GULLY arrived
on the scene: Diver Charles Murphy
went down and located the plane on
a hard bottom in about 16 feet of water
on the edge of the steamboat channel.
He was unable to find Biron's body and
attached a marking buoy.
A cable was sent down and he made
1t fast TO the base of the main left
wing spar. When the hoisting began
however, the spar tore away and came
up with single rib and small piece of
the wing surface attached.
Murphy wenC down again at 6:55
o'clock and reported by telephone that
he was unable, because of the muddy
condition of the water and the gather
ing darkness, to see anything. He said
he was hunting for the body again.
Can you open one of the cabin
doors?" he was asked.
Murnhy was fogred to abandon this