Evening star., 1941-10-30
"A on AirIiner
Killed in Crash
In Minnesota
Plane Trapped by Fog
Miles From Airport;
Pilot Only Survivor
By the Associated Press.

MOORHEAD, Mimi, Oct. 80
Trapped in fog and mist, North
west Airlines plane crashed within
2 miles of its objective early today:
IA persons. died in the impact and
flames that Immediately engulfed
the wreckage. Only survivor was
Capt. Clarence Bates of Minneapolis,
pilot, thrown clear as the big liner
struck the earth a glancing blow,
bounced 100 yards and then piled up.
Capt. Bates suffered only from
shock, but physicians would permit
no one to talk TO him.
The st. Paul dispatcher said he
last heard from the plane. west
bound from Chicago to Seattle, at
1:54 am. &C. S. t.. 1t then was
over the Fargo Airport, descending
at 2.700 feet.
Making a routine instrument ap-
proach in weather described on the
surface as thick" with a freezing
temperature, the pilot next should
have reported when he sighted land.
Two Miles From Fargo Airport.
The dispatcher vainly tried to
contact the plane at m Ten min.
yates later police telephoned that a
plane had crashed. Scene was 2
miles from the Fargo Airport, or
about l mile north of the city limits
of Moorhead, which adloins Fargo.
The Two cities are separated by
the Reed River. which is the State
line between Minnesota and North
Dakota.
The crackup occurred on a fat
prairie Capt Bates. dazed, was
found wandering in field by motor
lists attracted by the flames. There
apparently were no witnesses to the
catastrophe.
Croil Hunter, N. w. A. general
manager, left ST. Paul with plane
and crew to resume the westward
trip started by the Inflated liner.
One report was that Capt. Bates
had to DE restrained from trying TO
climb into the burning wreckage to
rescue the victims. This inforina-
ton came from Charles Bailey. CO.
lumbus, Ohio, and Eveline Berg,
Fargo beauty operator, en- route
home from a suburban night club
when they saw the fire.
Urged Crowds to Keep Away.
They said Capt. Bates was led
back to the scene after being found
in a field. Mr.. Bailey quoted him
as mumbling about freeing the oc-
cupants, but urging the gathering
crowd to keep away from the wings
because they contained gasoline.
Miss Berg, who accompanied Capt.
Bates to the hospital, said he ap-
parently tried to tell what happened
en- route. Bob Donahue, local ad-
vertislng man who also rode in the
ambulance, said Capt. Bates num-
bled something about the air speed
indicator not working and about
controls not responding because of
ice.
The special plane bringing N. w. A.
officials also brought Civil Aeronaut-
les Administration representatives,
The latter instructed county author
tiles TO remove the bodies and rope
of the wreckage.
How Pilot Got Out Mystery.
How Capt. Bates got out of the
inferno alive mystified investigators.
The original theory was that he was
thrown out when the big liner struck
the earth. Later some officials
thought he might have clambered
through the escape ooor.
Capt. Bates, himself, had recov-
cred from shock sufficiently to per-
nit more thorough examination in
the hospital. While he was being
wheeled into the X-ray room, he
exchanged greetings with reporters
but refused to discuss the crash,
Meanwhile, private investigators
had determined that the plane cir
cled over the Fargo Airport before
the crash. 1t was reported to have
come in as is customary in making
an instrument approach and then
swung back as If to make the land
ing. That swing never was finished
Estimates were that the plane was
above 500 feet when it shot over
the Fargo field as the ceiling at the
time was estimated at that height.
Ice On One Wing.
First noticed by the airline and
c. A. A. inspectors was a thick coat
ing Of ice on the leading edge Of one
wing. This presumably formed in
the air and not from the water
poured on by firemen.
Marks where the plane first struck
the ground showed the landing
wheels were retracted, indicating
the pilot was not trying for a forced
landing. Propeller marks also
strengthened belief the motors were
pulling.
After hasty check of the wreck
(See AIR CRASH, Page A-3)