Evening star., 1933-08-28
CAPT. F. T. HARMON
KILLED IN CRASH
Former D. C. Resident Be-
Iieved to Have Lost Way
Looking for Mitchell Field.

Taking to his parachute al low alti-
tUde when his Army observation plane
ran out Of fuel while he was searching
in the clouds and darkness for Mitchell
Field, Long Island, last night, Capt.
Ernest E. Harmon, tor many years
resident of this city. was instantly
killed IS he plunged into the ground
near Stamford. Conn. before his para
chute had time 20 open.
Associated Press dispatches indicated
that the plane, with its cockpltS unoc-
cupied. motor stopped and gasoline
tanks empty, crashed in a field at Turn
of-River, a Stamford suburb. and was
demolished. After a long search the
body Of the officer was found an eighth
of mile distant, his parachute par
TALLY opened.
Believed He Lost Way. !
The War Department up to noon
today had received no report on Capt
Harmon'S death other than telegram
from Mitchell Field wtere Harmon was
stationed. stating that he was en- route
from Easton. Nd, to Mitchell Field at
the time. The fact that he crashed
near Stamford indicated to fellow
officers that he had lost his way in
the clouds and darkness and POSSIBLY
had mistaken the southern shore OF
Connecticut for the southern shore OF
Long Island and ran out OF fuel be1ore
he could find place to land.
reer in the Air Corps and was co-pllot
of the Martin bombardment plane which
made the famous ''round-the-rim" flight
of 1919, following the boundaries OF the
United States and covering 1928 miles
in lO4 hours and "a minutes as a dem
onstration of the abilities of the bomb
ing planes of that time.
Born in Dallas. Tex. February 8,
1893 he came to washington as boy
with his father, Henry F. Harmon, re-
Gently retired from the Post Office De-
partment Capt. Harmon was a graou-
ate of Eastern High School and in 1918
graduated from Bethany College, West
Virginia. with the degree of bachelor
of science. He attended George Wash
ington University here for one year and
then became principal of the St. Clairs-
vile, Ohio. high school. He also served
rs an instructor in West Virginia schools
and then came back to Washington,
where he served in the Patent Office as
an examiner for year.
commissioned IN 1910.
He enlisted in the aviation section OF
the Signal Corps at Fort Myer, Va. on
October Is, 1917, attended ground school
at Massachusetts, Institute Of Technol-
ogy and flying school at GerStner Field,
louisiana He received his wings and
was commissioned second lieutenant
in the Air Service in May, 1918.
Capt Harmon served as a test pilot
at Wright Field in the Summer OF 1918
and then was chosen for the hazardous
duty of testing large multi-motored ex-
perimental planes. Among the ships he
took into the air for the first time was
the giant L. w. F. Owl, largest mill
tary plane ever built in this country.
He participated in the Pulitzer races of
1925.
He served here in the patents sec
tion. Office of the chief of the Air
Corps. for four years, from April 2,
1920, to 1924, then served for year at
Boiling Field. He returned to the War
Department for year and, after six
years OF continuous service in Washing
ion. went to Panama for two years.
From Panama he went to his last sta
ton at Mitchell Field.
Capt Harmon is survived by his
father and mother, who, live at 13
Cleveland avenue. Takona Park, Md:
his widow, Mrs Harriet Harmon, and
three boys, 8, 13 and II years old, living
at Mitchell Field.