Evening star., 1933-09-03
LOST GLORY LURED
| De P|NED0 TO END
Airman Who Died in Flames
Sought to Honor Those
Who "ExiIeG' Him.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK. September Marquis
Gen. Francesca De Pinedo died in the
flames of his blazing monoplane today
as he attempted to take off on non
stop solo flight to Bagdad that was in
tended to dispel the cloud of obscurity
surrounding his brilliant career in avi-
alton.
His heavily-loaded plane, flying
gas tank" containing 1027 gallons Of
fuel. wobbled off the concrete runway
at Floyd Bennett Field. skidded into the
dirt and plunged into an iron fence
near the administration building at $40
am. Eastern standard time).
In split seconds it was pyre for the
43-year-old twice conqueror Of the At
lantic, who was planning a record
breaking distance hop for the glory of
Benito Mussolini who forced De Pinedo
into retirement and obscurity.
Spectators Escape Death.
Several spectators. grouped near the
administration building, narrowly es-
capped death or injury from De Pinedos
oncoming plane. The flyer applied
screeching breaks in time to avoid hitting
| the group.
White-faced and speechless, more
than 200 friends and associates of the
famous former ace of the royal Italian
i air force. saw the dramatic climax Of
De Pinedos beau eeste"
For the flyers determination to add
| to the glory of his homeland and re-
| establish himself in the esteem of Mus
solini was well known to his intimates
here.
This will probably be De Pinedo's
last big flight" one friend said recent
| ly while the flyer was preparing for his
take-of. He wants above all to re-
gain his place in the sun"
Princess in Background.
Entwined. too. in the emotional back
ground of the flight was the oft-heard
| lumor that the flyer. a bachelor whose
| fortune was estimated at about S4,-
! 600 600, once was engaged to the former
| Princess Gigovana Elizabeth. daughter
| OF King Victor Emanuel of Italy. The
rumor never was confirmed
Efforts to pull De Pinedo out Of his
| ~iCNhco p1dllc NcIc UdlktO Dg IIS
| flames. The marquis, scion of an old
and honored Italian family, was burned
beyond recognition
| Armed with fire extinguisher,
Michael Hicks Beach, naval machinist's
mate, made gallant effort to reach
De Plnedo. but was beaten back by the
intense heat Of the burning wreckage
| Hicks was severely burned on the face
| and arms
| Had Tried to Escape.
Evidence that the flyer had made A
last desperate effcrt to free himself
was found by airport officials in the
TACT that the body was discovered Just
outside the cabin plane. He had ap-
parently jumped and tried to crawl
away.
There was no hint of impending dis
aster as DE Plnedo, wearing a gray
derby per fortuna"-for luck-had
squeezed himself into his plane.
Ugo oAnnunzio, son of the warrior
poet hero OF Fiume, stood nearby as the
nyer waved carefree farewell.
DAnnunzio, an aeronautical engineer.
had helped de Pinedo condition the
plane.
The ship wobbled slightly as 1t be-
gan its run down the concrete strip.
1t sWayed crazily by the time it had
gone 1000 feet, then skidded off.
Travelling about 70 miles an hour. the
1yer managed to get his ship back on
the runway.
Jumped Speed to 100.
He opened the throttle and the plane
increased its speed to about 100 miles
an hour, but a moment later il
swerved again and crashed into the
iron fence
D'Annuazio, tears in his eyes, hi.
face pale, said:
Il thought sure he would cut the
switch. When you start to sway in a
plane, the farther you go the worse il
gets.
But he had been here so long, he
had determined to 60. 1 think he
thought to the last moment that ht
could lift the heavy plane into the air. :
BY flying $500 miles to Baghdad, Dt
Pinedo had hoped to break the long.
distance record of $685. miles set b.
Paul Codos and Maurice Rossi in
flight last month from New York Il
Kayak. Syria.
I shall try to do my best" De Pinedc
mad commented just before his ill-fatec
take-of attempt.
This is an adventure to see if an
growing DID,
O Aieoo pcCdlue al OIuCer IN INT
Italian Royal Air Force when that bod
was organized after the army and nav,
relinquished their holds on their sepa
. rate air forces in 1923.
Made Rapid Progress.
His progress was rapid He gained
international recognition with a fligh
from Rome to Toxic. Australia and re
turn In 1925. He returned to hero,
homage in Rome and was picked TO
the famous four continent mass fligh
TO the Americas and return in 1927.
1t was on this venture, during which
, the Italian planes crossed South Ameri
can JungleS in seaplanes, that De Pine
dos own ship was burned at Roosevelt
Dam, in Arizona, when a careless spec
tator tossed a lighted match on tn,
gasolne-covered water about the plane
He finished in substitute plane ant
again was acclaimed at home
He was promoted to a generalshi,
Land was looked upon as the comm,
commander of the still young Italia,
air force. Gen. Italo Balbo, the dy
manic commander of the recent mas
flight to Chicago Century of Progress
had won Mussolinis favor.
Bslbo Got Credit.
1 The mass flight of 1929 to the Nea
East was the turning point in the ca
reers of both Balbo and De Pinedc
De Pinedo was credited by some for tn
: feat, but Balbo was officially credite,
: with its success.
De Pinedo was sent to Argentina a
l air attache to the Italian embassy
There he hardly ever few a plane. rod
: horseback instead, hunting and playin
polo. He endured his exile for thre
e years and finally came to the Unite,
D States.
t Marriage License Record Set.