Evening star., 1932-05-16
|LL-FATED FLYER
DESCRIBES SEA HOP
Pilot Regrets Only Loss of
Plane When Rescued by
Capt. Fried.
BY LOU REICHERS,

Special dispatch to the Associated Press
by arrangement with Famous Features Syn
dicate, Inc.
S. S. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, AT
SEA, May 16.-The flight from Newark
to Newfoundland was uneventful except
Tor some poor visibility and rain.
I received a weather report at Harbor
of the Baltimore Mail Line ship the
City Of Hamburg. who laid out my
course and furnished me with naviga-
ton data.
He indicated weather OK. So re-
fueled and took off, flying the course
Harry radioed me from aboard his ship
In midocean. The first hour out was
clear and cold and sighted several
1cebergs, then low-hanging clouds OBJ
scured the sea and for at least four
hours I did not see 1t again. After that
I got only occasional glimpses through
holes.
When eight hours had passed I came
down through a hole to have look
underneath. The visibility was poor
and could see no indication of land,
SO I climbed up again over the clouds
and few another half hour.
Believed He Had Drifted.
I repeated the same performance,
and at nine and one-half' there was
still nothing but water. I knew then
that I had been carried by cross winds
either to the north or south of Ireland.
Whenever I did spot water I could see
from the whitecaps that surface winds
were southwest SO assumed my posi-
ton to be north.
Turning south, I few for half an
hour. Still I could see nothing but
water, so came to the conclusion then
that winds out of the north, possibly
northwest, had carried me so far south
that the southwest wind I was flying in
then had not been enough to counter
act them.
few north then for another half
hour returning to practically the same
position and decided then the best
thing for me to do was to fly due east
for the following reasons:
+ 1. I figured I was too far south OF
Ireland to be able to make 1t with my
remaining gas and also I was afraid
would be unable to come down through
the clouds and locate my position as it
had already turned night.
Nearer Shipping Lanes.
2. I thought, possibly land would
be Just as close to the east as to the
north and by heading east I would be
nearer the shipping lanes.
81 was thoroughly convinced, even
though found land, could never get
away with landing on account OF the
rocky nature of the coast line, so had
already made up my mind that the best
thing to do would be jump.
(Note.-Reichers probably means ne
would attempt to fly his plane over
land and make parachute Jump
rather than to attempt forced land
ing on rocky coast.)
Because Of the night and poor visi-
bility, plus my landing speed and the
fact that I was tired. I felt incapable
of judging forced landing.
So when sighting the lights of the
President Roosevelt, and still no land
and with very little gas left decided
there was only one thing to do and
that was to set the Liberty down on
the water. I signaled the boat to
stand by and came down in the sea
about so yards away.
- Regrets Losing Ship.
It was very dark and visibility so
poor that I had to hang my head out
both hands to land, / could not pro-
tect my face and the shock threw me
forward, hitting the cowl, but outside
of bending my nose out of shape, that
required two stitches to straighten it
again, there was no other damage.
1t was impossible to salvage the
ship due to the rough sea. Capt. Fried
had to abandon the rescue boat for
the same reason.
I am very grateful to Capt Fried
and his crew for the very efficient and
courageous rescue and also to the
ships surgeon for his consideration
and kind attention to nose that was
pointing In the wrong direction.
I am Sorry had to lose Mr..
Bernarr MacFadden's ship, but he had
done enough flying himself to realize
that there was no way out. He was
a mighty good sportsman to let me
use the Liberty, which was one Of the
finest ships ever built and which was
dear to my heart, and he showed his
fine sportsmanship further by radioing
me aboard the President Roosevelt
that he did not give thought to the
loss of the Liberty so long as I was
safe.
That's what call swell fellow.