The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-08
FEARED HALT
AT RICHMOND
Filler REVEALS
Maxwell Tells The Times of
Plans He Made for
Landing Plane.
BY DICK MILLER
Times STAFF Writer

As long as two weeks before the
airplane crash which killed two
prominent Indianapolis physicians
and the daughter of one o. them,
Lieut.. Howard H. Maxwell, $500
Westfield-rd. their pilot. had feared
the possibility of trouble in trying
to land at night on the unlighted
Richmond Qnd) City Airport.
This and a statement that the
plane had caught fire in the air
the moment it hit the tree which
caused its crash, yesterday marked
an exclusive story Of the crash
told by Lieut.. Maxwell to The
indianapolis Times from his bed in
the Reid Memorial Hospital. Rich
mond, as funeral services we're be-
ing conducted.
My number just wasn't up"
Lieut.. Maxwell said Of his own mi
raculouS escape from death.
Lieut.. Maxwell told in detail of
his preparations for the night land
ing and of his confidence that he
had the field in his pocket" and
recalled that his first cross-country|
flight with DR.. Arthur NJ Menden-
hall. one of Wednesday nights VIC
Tins, had resulted in a forced land
ing in a graveyard a mile and a half
from the Pittsburg airport.
Forced Down by Weather
At that time DR.. Mendenhall, DR..
Dudley A. Pfaff, who served as a
pallbearer at the formers funeral
today, and a third Indianapolis
physician we're en- route to Pitts
burgh and we're forced down be-
cause of ice formed on the wings of
Lieut.. Maxwells ship. None was
injured. Lieut.. Maxwell eventually
got his ship to the Pittsburgh field
and all few back together.
"A month ago." he continued, DIR.
Mendenhall called me up again and
told me he had a meeting in De-
troit Dec. 4 and wanted to fly up. |
Two weeks ago. he called up again |
and asked about stopping at Rich
mond for his daughter"
The daughter, Miss Evelyn Men
denhall. 24-year-old cOlumnist on
The Richmond Palladium, was
among the victims of the crash as |
was DR.. John w. Carmack. noted |
indianapolis eye, ear, snose and
throat specialist. DR.. Mendenhall |
was a distinguished obStetrician.
Not Sure About Night
It was unable to tell him about
the Richmond stop" Lieut.. Max
well declared. because I knew there /
was some Federal Emergency Relief
Administration work going on there.
I told him that we could pick her
up all right. but that 1 wasn't sure
We could let her out there at night.
I'VE started from the Municipal
Airport. indianapolis, at about 9:05. |
I had met DR.. Carmack for the first |
time Just before the flight began. |
The physicians we're enthusiastic
about it being a beautiful day, about |
the smoothneSS of the air and about |
the ease with which the plane rode. |
AT Richmond, we picked up the
girl. If she was uneasy. she didn't
show it."
Earlier stories that Miss Menden-
hall had been uneasy were verified
by others in Richmond, however.
Mrs. Howard Hammer, a close
friend of the girl and the wife of
an advertising solicitor for The Pal
ladium. said that Miss Menderhall
had been so worried the night be-
fore that she had advised her to
phone her father here and cancel
her participation in the flight.
Girl Interested in Radio
Lieut.. Maxwell said the girl. who
sat in the front OF the Waco cabin
biplane with him while the physi-
clans rode in the rear seat, told him
of other flights she had made to De-
troit and to Troy, o.
"Sha was interested in the radio.
Lieut.. Maxwell commented. and /
listened in to the weather reports |
continuously as We flew along. on
compass. over he clouds, until we
came to the Cleveland BEAM"
He referred to the directional
radio beacon operated by the Gov
eminent on tranS-continental
beam.
I'VE came down through the
clouds az Toledo" the injured pilot
explained, and Miss Mendenhall
asked me where we v re. told her
and. when the two men asked the
same question. she told them. They
said they were glad to be making
c,rrf {, raroid trim "