Evening star., 1939-06-07
Plunge in River
Kills Mexican
Ace on Take.0ff
Wife and Son Watch
As Engine Fails
At Boiling Field

/ oliSAoSo odl dUld, INAChlCO
most flyer, was killed this morning
when his plane crashed into the
Anacostla River following a take
of from the new Boiling Field. His
pretty young wife. his l0-year- -old
son and group of diplomats from
the Mexican Embassy saw him
plunge to his death.
Sarabia, who last month estab-
lished new speed record in flight
from Mexico City to New York City.
had been in this country on a good
will tour. He was taking of this
morning to return to his home in
Lerdo, Mexico.
The famed pilot-fying the tricky,
speedy "streamlined brick" which
had crashed, in the years past, with
half dozen other aviators-took
off from Boiling Field at $50 am.
Waving happily to him as his
small plane roared down the run
way were his dark-eyed wife, Mrs.
Agripina Sarabia; his 10-year-old
son. Francisco, jr.; the Charge
d'Affaires of the Mexican Embassy,
DR.. Luis Quintanilla, and others
from the Embassy.
Heavy Load of Gasoline.
The plane was heavily laden with
gasoline-about $50 gallons, it was
estimated, for a l,700-mile flight
and cleared the ground after long
take off. 1t rose slowly and reached
an altitude of about 100 feet.
Suddenly the motor stopped. Those
on the field gasped as the plane
plunged earthward, nose first. 1t
landed in the river, about IS feet
from shore, in about Is feet of water.
The tail went over and the nose OF
the plane buried inself in the mud.
The flyers family and friends
rushed to the rivers edge. Quickly
DR.. Quintanilla and 1t Comdr.
Manuel Zermene, naval attache of
the Mexican Embassy, plunged into
the river and swan to the plane.
They dived to the cabin and at
tempted to free the flyer
Il reached the body" DR.. Quin-
tanilla said, "but I could not get
it out of the cabin. I think beyond
doubt he was dead by then"
Body Wedged in Cabin.
One of the crash boats at the
Naval Air Station was ordered out
Immediately and Navy divers, wear
ing helmets, went down to the bot
tom. But the flyer was lodged tight
| ly in the cabin, and their efforts to
i eXtricate him were futile.
Mrs. Sarabia, the son and the
| flyers brother, Santiago Sarabia,
watched. with horror in their eyes,
| the effort to save the man. Among
! those who came down to see him
off and who witnessed the plunge
were the two sons of the Mexican
Ambassador, Francisco and Luis
Najera; Salvador Duhart. second
secretary of the Embassy, and other
diplomats.
President Roosevelt directed that
plane be offered the Mexican Cow
ernment to transport the flyers
body back to his native country,
where hero's tribute awaits him.
Secretary of War Harry Woodring,
Director L. S. Rowe of the Pam
American Union and Mai. Gen. H. H.
Arnold, chief of the Army Air Corps,
were quick to pay tribute to the dis
tinguished aviator.
Visited White House.
Sarabia came to Washington two
days ago from New York. Yester-
day, he called on the Secretary of
War and visited the White House
with note to President Roosevelt
from President Cardenas of Mexico.
He was guest of honor at luncheon
given by a group of aviation clubs
and at reception given by the
Embassy yesterday.
His flight from Mexico to New
York, goodwill gesture staged in
connection with the New York
Worlds Fair broke the speed record
set by Amelia Earhart in 1885. He
negotiated the 2O85 miles nonstop
in 10 hours and Al minutes. breaking
the Earhart record by almost four
hours.
He had been feted in New York
and was met there by his young
wife. The flight from this city to
| Lerdo, his home town in the state
OF Durango, had been planned as
surprise for his mother, who lives
there.
The flyer was 80 years old and
was the head of Mexico's largest
domestic airline. He called his plane
the Sky Conqueror.
Obsolete Model Jinxed.
But other flyers, recalling the
planes checkered past, dubbed 1t
the "streamlined brick" The plane.