The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-20
STATES
SAFETY BOARD
OFFICIAL HERE
Eye-Witnesses, Boe-
ing Employees May
Be Called to Tee
tify, Hardin Says
ny Carl. HAMEIIN

rrs>*-~~%-F@t|
Possibility that a public
hearing may be held In an
effort to learn why the BoeinR
sub stratosphere Airplane
crashed Saturday was ex-
pressed here Monday by
Thomas Hardin. vice-chair-
man of the air safety board
of Civil Aeronautics authority.
Hardin arrived here SUM-
day night from Washington.
d. C.. with Frederick Glass.
chief examiner of the board.
and Earl Osborn. aeronantical
engineer. lie said cyewit-
nesses of the crash and Boeinq
employees would be called upon
To testify.
The $500, 900 sirliner, Americas
most unusual plane. WAS TO have
SCARED over the Northwest today
on a governmental inspection
flight. preparatory 10 heing
licensed for commercial flyinK.
Instead, = knot ef sob~r-
faced aviation experts wss
clustered around . pile Of
wreckage sprawled On = Ing
cinttered hillside near Alder.
70 miles southeast u Tacoma.
The wreckage, looking from =
distance like shiny bit Of erum-
Piled ilnfoiI from = candy bar. WAS
all that remained OF the unique
Potion alrship today,
On IL last eheekup flight Sal
nfdsy afternoon. something went
Sarsonk ~ The revolutionary sirss !,
liner sailed through the sunny
skies near Mount Tacoma.
With all fonr powerful
motors roaring loud enough 10
b~ heard for many miles. hath
winE-fips and part of the tail
structure broke off without
warning and thr plane plunged
10 the hillside moro than fwe
miles briow, bringing Instant
death 10 iis 10 occupants.
Some Of Americas brst.known
airmen we're among the victims
Harlan A. Hull. ~. Of Kansas City,
Mo. chief test pilot for Trans
continental n Western Airways:
Julius Barr. test pilot for Boeing
and formerly personal pilot for
Madame Chang kai-shek. Earl A.
Ferguson. 81. and William Doyle,
n. Seattle. Boeing test pilots. John
KYis,ra. Seattle. Boeing chief en-
gineer. Harry T. West. IT.. 30. Sc
attic. foreman, Ralph l. Cram. 81.
Seattle. Boeing aerodynamlcs ex.
pert. and Benjamin J Pearson. -.
Seattle. assistant sales manager
for BoeIng.
Investigation Begins
Also dead were Peter GulIonard, |
assistant general manager Of Roysi |
Dutch Airiines OF Rotterdam, and |
A. @. Won Baumbsuer, OF Amster-
dam. aeronauties engineer for the
government. who was
acting NJ co-pilot when the strsfo.
liner began Jts last flight.
Pearson was native of Gig
Hsrbof. and lived In puysiIup be-
fore moving To Seattle. lie Was a
graduate Of Puysllup high school
and the y. Of ". Survivors include
his wife. Katherine. in Seattle. and
two brothers. Paul +. Of Tacoma
and Clifford NJ and Phillip y. Of
Gig Hsfbor. Funeral services will
be held AT 30 p. m. Wednesday In
The Seattle Masonic temple on Pine
st.. with burial In Cromwell ceHue-
terry under direction Of the Seattle
Reserve Officers corps
Bodies Of the 10 victims were
taken 10 the Csffnsy msriosry
here, and nine OF them were later
removed TO Seattle. GsffDeyss
shipped Hnlrs body 10 Kansas
ritv for burial
Why the huge ship crashed.
.aussng the sorthNes,s worst
air disaster. was the task Of ex-
Derts 10 learn.
An investigation hoard of fhe
Evil Aeronsutlcs authority. assist
ii by Eoelng Aircraft Co officials
rom Seattle. where the plane vas
a
constructed. began that task Mon
lay.
Nothing Discovered Il
Frank Caldwell. chief inyssftgz-
or for the air safety board. VINO
rrissd here Sunday afternoon I
rom Chicago, sAld the board ,
you'd probably conclude Us inves-
lzation Monday. bat that its find D
ngs would he transmitted directly {
D Washington. Is
Our preliminary stsminA-
ton told ia nothing" he said .
Sunday sssntnx.
Whispers Of sabotage were
prevalent, but there a.s no
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WEATHER. AND TlIb4a