Evening star., 1947-12-01
Pilot B|ames Brakes
For Crash Of Plane
And Car Killing 7
BY the kssoeiotsd Press


four -engined Alaska Airlines trans
port plane which crashed and
burned at the Seattle Tacoma Air.
port blamed the crash today on
failure of the hydraulic brakes to
take the slightest hold" Seven
persons died and three are in criti-
cal condition as a result of the acci-
dent late yesterday. Seven others
were less seriously injured.
The pilot, Capt James E. Farris,
81. Of Seattle, told the Seattle Times
the DC-4 plane landed at a speed
of approximately 100 miles an hour
and rolled like it was on bed of
ball bearings" until 1t leaped a 60
foot embankment at the end of the
airport runway.
1t crashed into an automobile on
the highway below, killing blind
woman In the car. The plane was
flying from Anchorage, Alaska, to
Seattle 1t had % persons aboard,
Is passengers and crew of three.
All Were Scared.
Three passengers were reported in
critical condition at the New Renton
Hospital and two were listed as un-
satisfactory at Harborview County
Hospital.
The others had been released after
treatment or were recovering from
minor burns and bruises In the hos
pital.
Twenty-six of the % aboard the
big plane scrambled from door and
emergency exits or were pulled from
the flames by rescuers. All, however,
were scared by the gasoline-fed
flames that flashed through the
fuselage. Four of the rescued died
later.
The latest casualty was the planes
stewardess. Miss Reba Monk, of
Santa Monica, Calf. who was
credited with having led many of
the passengers to safety.
Dead Are Listed.
The other dead are:
Fred Smith, Tacoma, Wash. who
died eight hours after the crash.
Leslie Howe, 33, Seattle and Spo-
kane, Wash, a carpenter, who died
in the hospital.
Ole Ring, Anchorage. Alaska, who
died of burns and injuries.
Mrs. Virginia Stitsworth, 80. Ia
coma, entertainer known profess
sionally as Virginia Grafton.
Gordon johnson, 2l-month old
son of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Johnson,
Palmer, Alaska.
Mrs. Pearl Stella Jones. 43, Seattle,
the blind woman trapped in the car.
The plane crashed only a few
minutes after it had been turned
back from an attempted land
ing at Seattle's Boeing Field by
fog. Two airport employees in the
control tower at the Seattle Tacoma
Field said the ceiling radioed to
Pilot James Evan Farris, Seattle,
as the plane settled through the
overcast was 600 feet with IA miles
visibility" Three minutes after the
crash, a special reading showed the
ceiling at 400 feet with "a mile Wis
ibility."
Driver of Car Escapes.
Mrs. Jones. widow and mother
Of a 9-year-old boy, was riding with
neighbor. Ira Won Volkenburg,
when the plane came plunging down
and swept the car across the road.
Mr.. Won Volkenburg said he es-
capped by kicking out window and
then CROPPED in the smashed car
without finding Mrs. Jones. He was
driven away seconds later as the
plane burst into flames followed by
an explosion.
witnesses said the plane had
made an apparently safe landing
when 1t suddenly turned and went
broadside over the bank at the end
Of the runway.
The liner had been dogged by bad
weather since it took off from An
chorage, Alaska, last Thursday. Dur
ing its flight from Alaska it was
delayed at Yakutat and Annette
Island, near Ketchikan. It had
taken off from Annette at $50 am.
yesterday.
Alaska Airlines spokesmen said it
was the company's first fatal crash
in 10 years operation.
Leon D. Cuddeback, safety inves-
tigator for the Civil Aeronautics
Board, said the airline is regularly
scheduled operator in Alaska but Is
non-scheduled on flights to the
United States.
He said an intensive check into
tho trapadv would he onened TODAY