Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-08-20
Army Opens Inquiry
Into Crash Of BIS
Al National Airport

The War Department opened
an investigation today into con-
ditions surrounding the crashing
Ind burning Of q BIS Air Ma
terrell Command plane during q
Thunderstorm at National Air
por.. last night.
Eight crewmen and passengers
escaped serious injury when the
pilot OF the two-engined craft ap-
parently overshot short runway at
the west end Of the field. The
plane darted over Mount Vernon
Memorial highway and crashed on
its back in ditch near the Potomac
freight yards.
Instantly flames leaped from the
plane as high as 10 feet. As the
flames spread, fed by exploding
gasoline tanks and magnesium
flares, fire departments and rescue
squads battled to extricate the pas
sengers.
Three Firemen Also Hurt.
Hampered by water at the bottom
of the ditch, three firemen were
injured and hospitahzed. None OF
the firemen or plane passengers
was seriously injured, an amazing
fact in view of the rapidity with
which the flames engulfed the
craft.
The War Department said third
OF the plane was burned and that
1t was total loss for anything but
salvage.
An oficial appraisal of the crash
was delayed pending statement
from the pilot, Maj James Will
han1s, 81. Of Dayton, Ohio, who
suffered cuts and bruises, was said
to be the most painfully injured.
He was in Walter Reed Hospital.
The others, in Boiling Field Hos
pital. were identified as follows:
Maj. Herman w. wilkins, Roswell,
N. Mex, co-pilot, first and second
degree burns.
T/Sergt. william H. Macmillan.
Patterson Field. crew chief, first and
second degree burns.
Col. w. r. Taube, Patterson Field,
shock.
Col. w. C. Cooper, Patterson Field,
shock.
1t. g. g. James R. Dauost, Great
Lakes, Ill.
Capt. Kermit K. Benham, Ros-
we'll, N. Mex, shock.
1t. Joseph c. Wisely, ATC ter
minal, Washington, D. c., shock.
The three f1remen, taken to
Emergency Hospital, and their in
juries were:
1t. Eugene Heiss, 81, heat exhaus-
ton.
Pvt. Victor Wallet 30, second de-
gree burns to face and hands.
Pvt. Walter Rave, 80, possible back
strain.
They all are members of the Dis
trict's 18th Engine Company, which
fought the blaze along with the
Alexandria Fire Department.
Storm Held Crash Cause.
An Accident Investigation Squad
making routine inquiry into the
crash was expected to report that
poor visibility and gusty winds up
to 40 miles per hour were responsible
Some aviation men acquainted
with the 4.100-foot eastwest run
way believed it had been a mistake
to direct the B-25 to use it under
the existing weather conditions
One pilot said the runway was toe
short for such craft attempting t.
land in poor visibility.
National Airport officials defend
ed the use of the runway, however.
since there was west wind which
would making landing easier than
on some of the longer runways
which also would involve bucking
cross winds.
Scene of Earlier Crash.
It was the same runway off which
a four -engined Constellation, the
Star of Rome, skidded last March.
A Civil Aeronautics Board off1cial
said today the runway had been
under study for a long time" but
that it was unlikely there would be
any action taken until the airport
is enlarged. The fact that the run
way Is bounded on one end by the
Potomac River and the other by the
highway makes frightening i'm
possible.
Foremost among the heroes were
two soldiers attached to the airport,
M/Sergt. w. c. Walker and T Sergt
Lawrence Bonesh. Near the con-
troll tower when they saw the plane
crash, they rushed to the rescue in
a jeep.
They led the frantic chopping on
the nose OF the plane to release the
three crewmen trapped there. When
a hole was chopped about feet