Evening star., 1948-01-19
Condition Of ;
=
Hurt in Plane
Crash Serious
Veteran Pilot Dead
After Andrews Field
Tukeoff Accident

QkeOIf ACCIDENT
A veteran pilot of IS combat
missions was dead and three of
four persons injured are in seri-
Gus condition after the crash of
a District National Guard CAT
air transport plane during a
takeoff yesterday at Andrews
Field.
The plane went down the run
way and was about 80 feet in the air
when it veered, sheared through a
clump of trees and crashed into the
roof of one-story equipment build
ing. An Army corporal in the build
ing was injured.
The pilot was First 1t. Charles r.
Ryerson, 26, of 824 South Arlington
Mill road, Park Glenn, Arlington.
His wife, Mrs. Cora Glasner Ryer-
son, %, is expecting her first child In
April.
Woman, 3 Men Hurt.
The injured were,
First 1t. Theodore M. Williams,
27, of 4607 Connecticut avenue NV,
the co-pilot.
Staff Sergt. Harry e. Hovermill,
n, of 233 Third street NE, the crew
chief.
Miss Dorothy H. Lawrence, Is, Of
2025 street NV, Naval Reserve
yeoman, first class, passenger IN
the plane. 49,.
Corpl. Clarence A. Heatwole, sta
toned at Andrews Field, who was
in the building working. He was
admitted to the Andrews Field Hos
pital for cuts and bruises.
Thrown Clear Of Wreckage.
The injured were taken to Boiling
Field Hospital after receiving first
aid at the. scene Miss Lawrence
was described as in critical condi-
ton this morning.
She was thrown clear of the
wreckage and fell about Is feet to
the ground where she was found
unconscious by the Andrews Field
crash team. The three men were
removed from the smashed cock
pit of the plane after rescuers
climbed ladders to the roof of the
building. A small fire which broke
out after the crash was extinguished
by field firefighters.
The three men were members of
the District National Guard air
unit and few each week end from
Andrews. Field. The flight yester-
day was a routine training opera
ton. All were veterans with COM
bat experience overseas.
Apparently Had Engine Trouble.
The plane apparently developed
engine trouble as it neared the end
of the runway, field officials said.
An investigation was to begin today
to determine the cause of the crash.
1t. Ryerson. veteran of IS mis-
sions over Europe, was a native OF
California but he had lived in the
District area since, 1882.
After he was graduated from Nc
Kinley High School he worked for
the Civil Service Commission before
entering the Army in 1941. He was
commissioned a second lieutenant
in the Army Air Forces and went
overseas with Marauder squadron.
ALI of his missions were flown in
the same plane he took overseas.
Honored for Heroism.
Three times he brought the plane
home from missions over enemy
territory with only one engine func-
tioning. He received the Silver Star
Medal in 1914 for displaying out
standing courage in the face of
enemy fighters by voluntarily drop
ping out of formation to give pro-
lection to the crew of bomber
which was forced to fall behind
due to fax damage" He also held
the Purple Heart and the Air Medal
with clusters.
1t. Ryerson was field repre-
sentative for the Royal Liverpool
Groups Insurance Co., 2062 North
Fourteenth street, Arlington.
Besides his wife, he is survived
by his mother, Mrs. Warren P.
Mercilliot of Groveton. Va; BROTH
er, Philip Ryerson, a student at
American University, and a step
sister, Miss Eleanor Clifford Of
Philadelphia.
Miss Lawrence. a stenographer
with the Central Intelligence
Agency, is the daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Fred Lawrence of Flem-
ingsburg, KY, and came to Wash
ington about IS months ago. A
sister, Mrs. Jerry Allison, lives at
723 Quincy street NV.
1t. Williams is the manager OF
millinery shop here. He served
in the European theater also, first
with a Bit bomber group for 80
missions and then with fighter
squadron. He was credited with
downing two enemy planes and was
awarded the Air Medal.
Sergt. Hovermill served 80 months
in the European theater. His par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. Harry E. Hov-
ermill, live at 10603 South Dunmoor
drive, Silver Spring, Md. He is
married and the father OF q 2
month old son.