The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-28

was almost buried under the fuSe- lage.
 Fell Near Midnight
 Preliminary investigation indi- cated the crash occurred near mid night. A small clock carried by g passenger was stopped at 12:49. Ii it stopped when the plane crashed and had been set on Eastern Time it placed the time at 11:49 CST five minutes after the sleeper was due at Canoler Field.
 Perry made his last radio contact with the field at 11:44 D. m. CSI (12:44 a. m., EST) when he was near Stone Mountain, IS miles northeast of the field. By 11:49 D m. the plare would have been al about the place where it crashed apparently while turning to ap- proach the airport by the south leg of the beam.
 In addition to the federal inves- tigation On the scene, Air Line off, cials were conducting an inquiry and congressman in Washington were organizing third investiga- tion.
 R. F. Nicholson, senior air inspec- tor for the southern district, and James Douglas of the civil aero- nautics board in Washington went directly to the scene, as did Russell Reams of the cab inspection depart ment.
 Reams said he could make no statement on the probable cause un. til he had conferred with other in- vestigators, including Frank Cald- well, chief of the cab investigation division; Robert Crisp and Hal King cab agents, and James N. Peyton, regional investigator.
 The accident, unlike most previous commercial aviation disasters, had no obvious cause. Apparently the planes motors and equipment were functioning perfectly. Officials of the Atlanta airport said that the radio beam which had been. guiding the plane it for its landing, had never faltered. Though the weather was not perfect, it was not bad enough to have caused even a minor mishap. There was a light fog and light rain. but visibility of mile and a half and a ceiling of 300 feet.
 Yet Plane Crashed
 Yet the plane piled into the wooded hillside early yesterday morning, spewing some of its pas sengers onto the ground, trapping others in the smashed and twisted fuselage. There they stayed for almost seven hours until searching parties found them. The captain, his co-pilot, the steward and four of the 13 passengers were dead, ap- parently killed at the moment of impact, among them Rep. William D. Byron, D., Md, the second con- gressman to be killed in an airplane accident within six months.
 Rickenbacker was exhibiting at the hospital the physical toughness and spiritual courage which made him Americas No. of the World war, and physicians believed he would recover. His hip was frac- tured, several ribs were fractured, and his body was severely lacerated.
 H. A. Littledale, assistant to the managing editor of the New York Times, was in "very serious" con- dition from a broken back. His wife, editor of Parent magazine, was in the hospital suffering from shock.
 Others Injured
 The other injured were P. L.. Brady, New York, mechanical en- gineer, fractured right leg! R. B. Seweli. Atlanta, eye and back in- juries! c. M. Happen, lawyer, New York, shock and exposure: George Feinberg, theatrical agent, New York, abrasions and contusions; N. V. Hansell. civil engineer, New York, abrasions; J. s. Rosenfeld, Sr., clothing manufacturer, New Orleans, contusions. Rosenfeld's in- juries were so slight that he had already gone home.
 Roster of Dead
 The dead were: Rep. William D. Byron; B. c. M Van Der Hoop, Scarsdale, N. Y.. vice president of the Tin Processing corporation of New York; Allan Lebowitz, of At- lanta, a buyer; Juan c. Maria, im- porter. San salv ador, Fl Salvador; Saptain James A. Perry, Jr., the pilot of New York city; Luther E. Thomas. co-pilot, New York city: Clarence Moore, flight steward, New York.
 Among other difiicultles in estab. fishing the cause of the clash, in. veStigators were finding it difilcult 10 ascertain the time it occurred. The plane, enroute to BrownDvlllo, Tex, from New York via Waahlng. ton, Atlanta and New Orloans, was duo here at ii;bb D. iii. (i2;HS Q, m. EeTD Wednesday night. At ii;60 D. n. the plane Blgnaled tho Ats lanta control tower by radio that 10 was coming iii tor . landing. It must have been on northeast Ieg of the radio beam --OlhePWikO it would have said 6o,
 That wab the labt word from tho pilot and eo.pll0t to their ground n0liaaRiina,