Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-29
CRASH KILLS CREIGHTON.
HaushIand Seriously Hurt as Mime
apolis Duration Plane Falls.

MINNEAPOLIS, July 29 (P1.-The en-
durance plane the Minnesota crashed
into the ground at Void Chamberlain
Field at 5:25 am. today, killing Capt.
P. j. Crichton and seriously njurina
Owen Haughland, pilots.
The plane plunged into the old con-
crete automobile racing track encircllng
the field just five minutes after the
ground crew had picked up message
from the flyers saying, Everything is
going fine"
Preparations for making another re-
fueling contact were under way by the
ground crew before the ship went into
spin. Crichton was instantly killed and
Haughland was rushed to hospital.
The plane had been in the air 154
hours and 40 minutes.
Haughland's Sixth Attempt.
Members OF the ground crew were
unable to ascribe any reason for the
crash. Some witnesses believed that the
flyers sacrificed too much flying speed
to drop what was their last message.
They were up only 200 feet when the
plane went into q spin.
The Inflated attempt which almost
cost Pilot Haughland his life was his
sixth try for an endurance record. His
five previous attempts had ended in
failures because of motor trouble.
Capt. Crichtons death ended his only
attempt at an endurance mark. Pre-
viously Haughland had tried four times
with Gene Shank, Minneapolis COM
mercial flyer. and last month he had
tried again with Thorwald "Thunder"
johnson. On that attempt he achieved
149 hours and 80 minutes in the air.
Dropping out of the skies this morn
ing to drop their note of instructions
: for supplies and refueling, Capt. Crich-
ton dived to within 200 feet of the air
port. The refueling ship, Ace High, sis
ter ship of the Minnesota, was prepar-
ing to take off with 100 gallons of gas
for the flyers when the endurance plane
vas seen to side slip. Capt. Crichton
tried to gain altitude and increase his
speed, but was unsuccessful. the plane
crashing as it swooped over the race
track. Observers said it fell like a
pancake"
Body Badly Manglcd.
Capt. Crichton's body was badly man
gled by the big motor, and there was
some difficulty in extricating him from
the wreckage.
Capt. Crichton was World War
veteran and captain in the Army Air
Corps Reserves. He was employed at
tn, United States Veterans Hospital at
fUTt 11lS age Wdo SANCil ao So'
Pilot Haughland, So, owned and oper-
ated an airport and flying school at
Buffalo, Mimi, his home.
Walter Bullock, pilot at the airport,
said he was watching the Minnesota as
it swooped over the field. He said at
about $50 feet the plane seemed to get
out of control.
In the six days of flying Pilots
Haughland and Crichton had covered
upward of 1000 miles on 1875 gal
Ions of gasoline. They had made 18
successful refueling contacts.
Suffers Compound Fracture.
Doctors later said Haugland suffered
a compound fracture of the skull and
possible internal injuries. They ex-
pressed doubt that he would recover.
Haugland conceived the idea OF at
tempting to establish new endurance
mark soon after the Army plane Cues
ton Mark set its record. He tied up
all his property, mortgaging everything
he could, to purchase two cabin planes,
one for the endurance attempt and the
other for the refueling ship.
In addition to his aviation interests,
Haugland owned a gasoline filling sta
ton. He is a veteran of the World War,
having served in the Artillery. He be-
gan flying in 1927. After completing his
course, he started flying by taking Mrs.
Haugland to Marion, S. OAK, hospi-
tai each week for treatment. She is
paralyzed.