Evening star., 1947-01-16
; Flying Home
From Air Races
Die in Crash
Private. Croft Falls
In Cabbage Field
In North CuroIino

win, craSneQ ana eXplOQeQ IN 9
cabbage field 4 miles from Wake
Forest, N. c.
The dead are:
Mr.. Sherwin, 38, real estate deal.
er, of 3501 Davis street NV, father
of three and owner of the plane.
Former 1t. Comdr. William Hell
vestine, 81, of 5000 Connecticut
avenue, Chevy Chase, national ex.
ecutive secretary of the Coast
Guard League.
Garnette G. Gregg, %, of 5424 Ne
braska avenue NV, former Army
Air Forces major, and former
Navy test pilot.
Attempted Forced Landing.
The twin engined, five place
Cessna aircraft crashed at TBS pm
in a foggy overcast after passing
over the Raleigh-Durham airport
several times, the Associated Press
reported.
Witnesses said the pilot was at
tempting a forced landing in the
field when wing clipped off 200
yards OF pine trees before the plane
smashed into a small hill.
Charles Hicks, farmer who lives
near the scene, said the aircraft
burst into flames Immediately. All
three men apparently were dead
before Mr.. Hicks pulled them from
the burning ,wreckage.
The three men were en- route to
Washington from Miami, Fla,
where they had been attending the
American Air Races.
Report Low Gas Supply.
The bodies were identified by
papers found in the plane, North
Carolina authorities said.
Shortly afterwards, the Raleigh
Durham Airport Authority identi-
fled the plane by its registration
numbers, ending earlier fears that
it was commercial airliner which
had been in the vicinity with 80
passengers aboard. 1t was reported
overdue at Virginia City, Va, five
minutes before the crash.
The Sherwin plane may have ruin
out Of fuel just before the crash,
the civil aeronautics officials indi-
Gated. When the ship was last in
communication with the Raleigh
Durham Airport at 6:42 pm, it was
reported to have about an hours
gasoline supply. The CAB will in
vestigate the crash.
James F. Walker, jr., Gathers
burg, Md, earlier was thought to be
one of the victims. Papers found in
the plane bore his name, but Mr..
Walker, who accompanied the three
men to Miami, later was found to
have remained in Miami.
Refueled in Savannah.
Authorities said the weather in
the area was pretty foggy with a
slight drizzle." The plane had last
stopped at Savannah, Ga, to refuel,
it was reported.
Mr.. Sherwin leaves his wife and
three sons, c. Allen, jr., 10; John
Michael, 5, and Gregory, 4. His
brother -in-law, Robert H. Winn,
4413 Yuma street NV, said Mr..
Sherwin left his offices at 424l Wis
consin avenue NV, week ago to
make the Florida trip.
Mr.. Winn said Mr.. Sherwin had
learned to fly at nearby Queens
Chapel Airport about seven years
ago and was enthusiastic over avia-
tion. According to Mr.. Winn, he
was regarded as an excellent" pilot
Mr.. Sherwin and his family for
merly lived in Westmoreland Hills,
Md, but recently bought the house
on Davis street. Mr.. Sherwin was
a member of the District Bar Associ-
alton, Columbia Country Club, the
Rotary Club and the Early Birds.
He received an LII. B. degree at
Southeastern University.
Won Recognition as Artist.
Friends of Mr.. SherWin said he
had attained recognition as an art
ist in his twenties, specializing in
etchings and dry points. His works
repeatedly were priced by Mrs
Herbert Hoover and Mrs Franklin
D. Roosevelt.
Mr.. Helvestlne was the son OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Albert Helvestine
440 New Jersey avenue Sc. A
former Coast Guard and Navy
officer he also was an attorney
and member of the District Bar AS
sociation. His wife said they were
married two years ago and have a
4-month-old son, William Albert
Helvestine.
Members of the family said Mr.
Helvestine was graduated from Nc.
Kinley Tech High School-where hi
studied exclusively at night for sis
years while working for the Gov
ernment during the day. Later, hi
received an LII. B. degree at George
Washington University in 1885.
Mr.. Helvestine had worked at the
Labor Department, the Patent
Office. Smithsonian Institution, tht
Treasury Department and the Civi
Aeronautics Board.
Served in Four InvasiOnS.
He was an ensign in the Nava
Reserve from 1886 to 1912 He
switched to the Coast Guard in 194E
and eventually served as a deck Off.
Ger on transports at four invasions
Southern France, Sicily, Italy ane
Normandy.
He also was Mason and a mem
ber of the Acacia fraternity ane
omicron Delta Kappa fraternity
Since October, 1916, when he lef
the Coast Guard with the rank O
commander, Mr.. Helvestine hat
been full-time national executive
secretary of the Coast Guart
League.
Mr.. Gregg, a native of Manches
ter, Ga, Lived with his sister, Mrs
J. Phelps Hand. jr., at the Nebrask'
avenue address. He had recentl.
spent about two weeks in the CO
pilots training course at Pennsyl
vania Central Airlines here, but lef
the airline with the intention o
resuming his studies at the Univer
sity of Maryland, according to tn
family.
Mrs. Hand said her brother gradu
ated from Alabama Polytechnic In
stitute in 1887 and in 1889 received
degree in aeronautical engineering
from the Massachusetts, Institute o