Evening star., 1937-03-26
AirCrash
Continued From First Page.)

L
line and State and Federal inspectors
began Immediately.
Dr.. j. J. Mclean, manager OF the
airport. said some inspectors told him
they believed ice formed on the wings.
They said they saw ice on parts Of
the ship and thought it might have
formed while the plane descended
from 10000 feet or more to below the
clouds while heading for the airport"
said Dr. Mclean
The 800 left Newark promptly at
3:15 pm, stopped at Camden, where
three passengers left and five got
aboard
In Chicago Jack Frye, T w. A.
president, asserted the ship its engine
and radio we're in perfect mechanical
condition at the time it left and that
it arrived over the Pittsburgh Airport
at 6:25 pm. on schedule
The crash occurred at approximately
6:f5 pm. This would indicate the
plane was awaiting permission from
the airport to land.
)AlSAaio lOAooC0 W tllC ldOlO
log at the airport or of the plane,
saying it was tied up" by the Federal
Communications Commission.
NJ L. Cunningham, a State aero
nautics inspector, the only official who
would be quoted, said:
The plane apparently was out of
control. The throttles must have been
closed before the crash
No Screams Heard.
The crash occurred at the edge of
valley about 40 yards wide. First
persons to reach the wreckage said
they heard no screams or groans. in
dicating all died instantaneously.
Had Pilot Bohnet been able to level
off his ship, safety lay less than 100
yards away.
At the county airport an executive
said the plane had attempted to land,
but was ordered to descend at lower
altitude because Of fog and mist and
the operator could not see the ship at
5000 feet.
1t was about five miles to the air.
port and eight miles to downtown
Pittsburgh from where the liner struck
Capt. wilkins, in his statement,
said:
Airport, while flying at 1000 feet, I
sighted an airplane flying at approx
mately 1,700 feet in level flight and
dead ahead about l mile, headed in
the same direction toward the Pitts
bugh Airport.
When I spotted him I Immediately
slowed up as we were overtaking him
rapidly. When within half mile of
the ship it looked as though he were
starting to make a left turn The nose
pointed vertically downward. When
he was within about so feet of the
ground looked away, but First Of
flcer Williams q. M. Williams, CO.
pilot with Wilkins) saw the actual
impact. Mr., Williams says the ship
struc kthe ground in full vertical posi-
ton.
THE actual base of the clouds was
5000 feet above sea level as flew in
sight of the ground 10 miles west of
the Ohio River. The visibility was also
good, ranging from S to 10 miles from
my plane. There was no snow or rain
to decrease visibility"
Turned End Over End.
Farmer Euclid Bourguignon, one of
the first on the scene, said he saw
the plane shooting earthward turn
| ing end over end" three times.
Il guess it fell about 500 feet
straight down." he said.
Bourguignon said he found a faint
pulse in the body of one girl, probably
the stewardess, but knew she could
not live.
Robert McWilliams, Washington
Pa. taxicab operator, said he saw the
| ship shortly before it crashed and its
| engines were laboring. He estimated
| its height at not more than 800 feet
| before the fall
Volunteer f1remen were the first
rescue crew to arrive.
They found the two all-metal wings
hanging like those Of a crippled bird
from the twisted fuselage and the tail
barely damaged
Several sacks of mail, in the tail,
were not badly damaged.
The tragedy was the third major
air accident within year In this area.
Last April the Sun Racer smashed