Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-19
BY PAUL COLLINS,

BY PAUL COLLINS,
Mail pilot for the National Air Transport on
New rk-Cleveland run.
Written exclusively for The Star and the
North American Newspaper Alliance.
When a wing was torn off my plane
In terrific night storm 10000 feet
above the Allegheny Mountains had
the most exciting experience have yet
encountered in flying the mail
November % last I left Cleveland at
in the morning with 300 pounds of
mail and express for New York. The
weather from Bellefonte, Pa. to Had
ley Field. New Brunswick, N. j., was
reported good, but line squat travelling
rs miles an hour had passed Cleveland
five hours before, with strong and
gusty winds.
Tries to Fly Over SquaII.
I figured on hitting the squat near
Clarion, Pa. Because of the report by
another pilot then down at Mercer, Pa,
that 1t would be virtually impossible to
fly under the squall I decided to try to
fly over it,
The cloud formations started Just
beyond Mercer, and began to get higher.
Near Clarion they were higher still.
and, seeing that could not 60 over, I
flew into them at 10000 feet. I figured
would be in them is or 20 minutes.
For the first five minutes the air was
fairly bunny, but 1t was not too bad
just enough to keep me on my toes to
hold the ship on its course.
At this time, in the darkness and
black clouds, could see only the in
strument board-absolutely nothing
outside the cockpit The instrument
lights were not on, as I wanted to be
able to see a break in the clouds, or
stars ~ thoy annaarad p1,f could
read the instruments. perfectly by the
radium glow.
Flying at Terrific Speed.
was maintaining perfect southeast
course when / ran into extremely rough
air. However, 1t wasn't any rougner
than I had flown through many times
before.
Suddenly the ship seemed to acquire
great speed. The turn indicator was
thrown hard to the right, and stayed
there despite efforts to dislodge it.
pulled hard up on the stick and
gave full left rubber, easing of the
motor at the same time. The ship
seemed to slow up, but the turn indf-
Gator was still to the right. This was
only momentary, and the ship i'm
mediately picked UP great speed again.
The last time 1 had seen the air
speed indicator the plane was travelling
Gator still hard right. Then there began
a. violent shaking-as II some one had
hold Of me and was manhandling me.
Shaking Snaps Head.
This shaking, or swapping, was so
violent that my head was thrown back
and forth. The speed of the ship
seemed appalling The last I had
noticed the altimeter read approximately
six or seven thousand feet, which was
just before the swapping began, I had
been positive before this that there was
something wrong.
Now the plane was falling into a
spin. I have been in many spins. but
this was entirely different. It was so
much more violent.
Gets Ready to Jump.
AS I look back on it I cannot say
whether the spinning and swapping
were to right or left When the snap
ping began I had my first thought of
getting out. 1 unfasteped my safety
belt and started to get up. But have
no recollection of getting out and
jumping. eir .
It seemed as iftI fell out, which
would indicate that the ship was either
on It's back or at least more on its
back than right side up.
saw nothing of the plane, and it
took me some time to locate the rip
cord ring of my parachute. fell prob
ably 1000 or 500 feet before I found
the ring and opened the chute. 1t
opened alInest instantly, pinning my
left arm upright.
Gets Darker and Darker.
The only thing I could tell as I
fioated down was that it appeared to
get darker and darker, although it had
already been so black I couldn't see
anything. Then I heard a dull crash
below; undoubtedly the ship had hit.
struck the ground without seeing
it. The parachute caught in second
growth trees and didn't drag me, al
though the wind was blowing 80 or 40
miles an hour
After As minutes of wandering
through the darkness along q pipe line
came to farmhouse. A man named