Evening star., 1937-02-11
PROBES LAUNCHED
IN NPLANE TRAGEDY
Cause of Accident Killing
II on Coast Remains
Mystery.
ny the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, February Ii
Four groups of investigators sought
to learn from torn and twisted wreck
age today why a giant airliner, only
seconds away from its destination,
plunged IL persons to death Tuesday
night in San Francisco Bay.
Two theories-too sharp banking
of the plane and misjudging OF alti-
kude-were advanced unofficially by
expert pilots as Searchers dragged
muddy waters for the bodies of seven
victims. OF the four already recov-
cred, one victim, Millionaire Mark
Fontanta, appeared to have drowned
despite a struggle to swim after the
twin n-motored ship sank miles Of
shore in 26 feet of water.
Plane Lifted From Bay.
The shattered hulk of the 12-ton,
2l-passenger plane, lifted from the
bay yesterday, offered no immediate
prospect of solution of the bay areas
worst airplane tragedy.
Experienced pilots said A. r. Thomp-
son, veteran airman who overshot
Mills Field coming in from Los
Angeles, may have banked too sharply
when he circled out over the bay
to come in again, thus causing the
right wing to buckle and catapult
the plane into the water.
Other aviators considered more
probable the theory that Thompson
misjudged his altitude in the dark
ness and the right wing struck the
water, somersaulting the plane into
its tragic plunge.
There was no comment on theories
from the four investigating groups:
Officials of United Airlines, oper-
ators of the ship.
The Douglas Aircraft Co., its
builders.
The Department f Commerce.
The San Mateo County coroner's
Office.
Weather Conditions Favorable.
At Washington, Eugene Vidal, di-
rector of the Air Commerce Bureau,
said preliminary investigation indi-
Gated either mechanical or pilot failure
as the probable cause. He added he
was sure" weather conditions did
not enter into it and that all navi-
gstional aides were working properly
when Thompson brought in the plane,
was radioed his landing runway, but
went on across the field and out over
the bay, which borders the airport on
the east.
Disclosure that at least one paSsen-
ger may have struggled to escape even
while water gushed in through
jagged tear in the roof of the cabin
came last night when the body of Fon-
tana, wealthy San Francisco maca-
roni manufacturer, was recovered.
His coat and trousers had been re-
moved. His shirt was unbuttoned. His
shoes were united. The body bore no
outward evidence of an injury which
would have caused death, Coast
Guardsmen said.
DR.. James Reinhart, who performed
An autopsy on Thompson's body, said
the pilots death undoubtedly was
due to drowning" pointing out that
injuries caused when he was thrown
against the instrument board we're in
sufficient to be fatal.
The bodies of Thompson, Co-pilot
Joe De Cesaro and SteWardess Ruth
KimmeI who also apparently drowned,
were in the wreckage when a power
ful salvage derrick hauled it from the
bay. Fontana was found nearby.
Safety Straps Loose.
Observers noted, when the plane was
lifted from the water, that the safety
straps on the passengers seats were
hanging down, as if snapped by the
terrific impact.
An eyewitness said the ship made "a
big wham" when it struck the water.
Missing were the bodies of j. Frank
Gilmore, oil burner company execu-
tive; Myron Lorge, automobile sales
man; Reno Margaroni, San Fran
cisco cafe owner; Rodgers Meyer of
Ridgewood, N. j., underwear manufac-
turer representative; H. D. Friedlander,
Los Angeles business executive; John
A. Grennan, San Francisco real estate
man, and his daughter, Gertrude, "a,
engaged to be married soon.
a