Evening star., 1938-11-09
Army Flyers
Die in Flames
In Ana(ostia
Col. Leslie MocDiII,
Private, Victims;
Autos lgnited
BY G.. d. HORNER.

Two Army flyers were killed
when their low-flying airplane
dived over rooftops and crashed
in flames into a row of parked
automobiles in front of 1907
Thirteenth street Sc. about 9:4O
am. today, few minutes after
they took off from Boiling Field.
Burned beyond recognition
when trapped in the flaming
Wreckage, the dead men we're
identified by records at Boiling
Field as Col. Leslie MacDill, 40.
member of the general staff, and
Pvt. Joseph G. Gloxner.
Col. MacDill, plotting the plane
on what was to have been a routine
hight over the city, was believed
TO have turned back toward Boiling
Fleld when his plane developed
motor trouble and then desperately
turned again to avoid hitting houses
IN the neighborhood when he saw
crash was inevitable.
Wings of the plane were seen to
fiutter dangerously as it circled
the golf field house in Anacostia
Park and headed back toward the
held 1t had left three minutes before
Motor sputtering, the plane flew
low-witnesses said it couldn't have
oeen more than $50 feet high
across Thirteenth street and it
looked as If the pilot might be trv-
ing 10 land in a small vacant lot
between residences at 1907 and 1901
Thirteenth street.
Avoids Business Section.
With principal business section
o! Anacostla just ahead, the Grip
pleo plane turned back to the north
east and dived toward the ground
at 45-degree angle, witnesses said,
1t missed by inches the corner of
the nome OF Robert Thompson at
lo07 Thirteenth street as it plum
meted, nose first, into the soft
| ground between the sidewalk and
curblng In front of his home. and
spun around to land partly atom a
parked automobile and almost par
allel with the curbing.
Immediately the ship burst into
flames. Electric wires, torn down
oy Its crash, sputtered. Flaming
gasoline ran down the gutter and
set four automobiles afire.
There was no sound from the men
trapped in the plane. Apparently
they were killed instantly.
Residents of the neighborhood ran
out to the street. Somebody called
police. Crowds quickly gathered.
Every motor cycle policeman in the
city rushed to the scene, and de-
tails of Army and Navy men from
Boiling and Anacostia fields arrived
quickly to help handle the crowds
and direct rescue work.
District flremen worked for nearly
half an hour to extinguish the blaze
and get the wreckage cool enough
to approach.
Bodies Are Extricated.
Then Army and Navy crews cut
through the mass of burned and
twisted framework to extricate the
bodies of the two flyers, burned un-
recognizable. Father Clarke of the
nearby st. Theresa Church admin
lstered absolution and the bodies
were taken in an Army ambulance
to Walter Reed Hospital.
An Army Board of Inquiry, con-
sisting of Maj. Charles P. Prime.
Capt. Howard NJ Turner and First
1t. William E. Hall, were on the
scene few minutes after the crash.
The plane was so badly demolished
they could find no material evidence
OF what caused the wreck, and Army
trucks soon began hauling the debris
to Boiling Field.
The Army officers took the names
of witnesses to the crash and
drove this afternoon to their homes
or places of employment to listen to
their stories individually in an effort
to fix the cause of the crash Mai.
Prime said findings of the board
probably would be made public
tomorrow.
Earl Hazel of 1858 U street Sc,
who saw the plane crash, said it
missed the northeast corner of Mr..
Thompson's home only by few
inches. When it twisted around on
its nose in the death plunge, the
left wing-tip came to rest practically
on Mr.. Thompsons front steps.
Saw Plane in Flames.
Mrs. Thompson was on her way
to the telephone inside her home
to order groceries when she heard