Evening star., 1939-07-18
Probe Reveals Raq
In Carburetor Of
Sarabia' S Plane
Federal Officials DENY
Sabotage in Mexieon's
FotoI Plunge

While denying sabotage. a spokes-
man for the Air Safety Board ad-
mitted today that a rag was found
in the carburetor air intake of the
airplane which crashed with Fran
cisco Sarabia, Mexican ace, in Ana
costa River June 7.
Carl B. Allen, q member of the
board which conducted an exhaust
i've inquiry into the fatal accident,
said there was absolutely no evi-
dence of sabotage" The presence of
the rag apparently had been due TO
the carelessness of a mechanic, al
though officials would not comment
on this angle of the inquiry.
Neither would Federal officers say
how many cleaning rags were found
in the engine, although it was indi-
Gated there were more than one.
The rag believed to have cut off
the air supply to the carburetor, it
was said. was of type ordinarily
used at military and civilian air
ports for wiping oil from motors.
Strong Suction.
The rag apparently had been left
in the cowling which circles the
front end Of the motor, just behind
the propeller The air scoop intake
for the carburetor has a strong sue
ton when the motor is running.
The intake on Sarabias motor had
a mouth about three by five inches
in size. Air currents whirl inside
the cowling when the airplane is in
fight. The mouth of the intake
wac set three or four inches above
the bottom edge of the cowling.
1t was believed that when the
Mexican ace took of from Boiling
Field the rag was blown about inside
the cowling and pulled into the in
take. The cloth, it was understood,
lodged against the screen just out
side the carburetor, cutting of the
air.
Experts who investigated said 1t
would have been impossible for any,
thing but chance to have timed the
pickup Of the rag by the air scoop.
IT the obstruction had been placed
IN the intake while the airplane was
on the ground, it was said, the motor
could not have turned up enough
power to pull the ship off the
ground.
There was no conceivable way
the cloth could have been planted
to choke the carburetor at the cru
clal time of take-off," it was said
by a Federal investigator.
The three members of the Air
Safety Board met in executive ses-
sion at the Commerce Department
today to complete details of their
report on the accident for submis-
sion to the Civil Aeronautics Au-
thority.
1t was indicated that the full re-
port would be released shortly.
War Department officials said to-
day the investigation of the Sarabia
crash has not yet been completed"
And at the Department of Justice
1t was stated that the department
did not participate in a reported
Joint hearing" of the tragedy Sum
day.
Sarabia died in the plunge shortly
after he had taken of from Boiling
Field on projected flight to Mexico.
His airplane, the Conquistador del
Clelo, was hauled from the river and
placed under guard at Boiling Field
pending an official examination of
the wreckage.
When the flyers body was returned
to his home for burial, there were
demonstrations in Mexico and ru-
mors Of Sabotage" Sarabia, called
the 'Lindbergh of Mexico" by his
admlring countrymen, broke the
nonstop record between Mexico City
and New York in 10 hours and Al
minutes on flight about fortnight
before his death.