Evening star., 1948-01-13

1,UlS mlleS al IlOuT. Lie chpcI
wind tunnel" for testing expel
holds a model wing" which wa
and the point of contact with the
ground.
The badly crushed nose rested
against a tree, it was said, and
although the wings we're canted
at a steep angle, the engines were
not thrown clear. The overturned
rear section of the fuselage and the
tail assembly suffered relatively lit
tie outer damage, although the in
terror Of the fuselage section was
Uttered with broken chairs and
loose gear, police said.
The plane, en- route from Hous-
ton, Tex, to Boston, was cleared
from Winston-Sa for an instru-
ment flight to Washington. The
pilot contacted the Washington con-
troll tower from point near Mount
Vernon on the Potomac at 4:26 am.
At 4::33 the tower called the pilot,
who reported his altitude at $500
feet. The tower told him he was
cleared to descend and approach
the airport. He was given permis-
sion to land on the main north
south runway. '-
Pilot Said He Could See Ground.
At 4::35 the tower turned on a
new receiver and contacted the pi-
lot to tell him how to tune in his
receiver. Then the control tower
heard the pilot say, Stand by"
and there was no further word. At
4:40 the tower again tried to con-
tact the plane to give detailed re-
ports on the weather at the airport,
but received no reply.
Weather conditions at the field
at the time were described as visi-
bility 4 miles, with an overcast at
| 1,4O0 feet and scattered clouds at
600 feet in light rain and fog. In
his last contact with the tower, it
was said, the pilot reported he could
see the ground.
The flight attendant told report
ers the pilots told him shortly be-
fore the crash, We've been cleared
and are going in" After seeing
that seat belts were fastened he
took a chair in the rear, he said,
and a little later heard ripping
noise as the wings began to shear
through trees. g >ssf f..,
Mr.. Stone said that after he re-
leased his seat belt in the darkness
and fell downward to the roof be-
meath him he crawled to the door.
He had no idea, he said, how far it
was to the ground, but went out the
door after the flight attendant made
the first try.
Mud Hampers Rescuers.
Rain, slush and muddy roads
hampered police, fire and rescue
squad vehicles making their way
to the scene, which is reached by
side road turning of Fort Foote
road at Oxon Hill road. Police
stopped all but authorized persons
at this point.
The baggage, mail and air ex-
press apparently was intact within
the twisted sections of the plane.
Half a dozen inspectors and in
vestigators from the Civil Aeronau-
tics Administration and the Civil
Aeronautics Board reached the
scene this morning to open an
Official inquiry.
Fire equipment responded from
Oxon Hill, Silver Hill, Hillside. Cap
ital Heights, Bradbury Heights and
Marlboro, and rescue squads were
dispatched from District Heights,
Forrestville, Bladensburg, Branch
vile and Brentwood.
The firemen and police used metal
shears and crowbars to release one
of the survivors, a young man be-
lieved to have been Mr.. Naples, who
was pinned in the wreckage. They
also cut free one of the bodies caught
in the twisted fuselage in the for
ward section.
Heard Cry for Help.
Mrs. Jane Schumann, who lives
| in farmhouse about $50 yards from
where the plane crashed, said she
heard a terrific roar" at 4:35 am.
She looked out of her second-story
bedroom window, but could see
nothing. She was about to return
to bed when she heard faint cry
for help.
She said she telephoned Boiling
Field and the Anacostia Naval Air
Station. The Naval Air Station
telephoned National Airport, who
in turn notified Prince Georges
County police when it was learned
an Eastern DC-3 was overdue.
| Prince Georges County police ar
rived at the Schumann's home
about $50. Accompanied by Rich
ard Schumann, Mrs. Schumann's S
husband, they walked into the
woodland area and found the plane.
They were directed to the scene of
the crash by the steward, who was
conscious, and renewed his calls for
help when he heard the horn blast
of the Prince Georges County police
car.
Oxon Hill firemen, led by Chief
Raymond E. Campbell, reached the
plane about $40 am.
They found three persons thrown
clear of wreckage, two alive and
one dead. They said they found one
survivor conscious, huddled under
the tail structure.
i Selected for Promotion.
Capt. Moebus was commander OF
the u. s. s. Saratoga at the time
it was severely damaged with a loss
of 123 lives early in the battle for
Two Jima. The attack on the ven-
: erable carrier came on February 81,
1945, while the Saratoga was pro-
viding air cover for Marine ground
forces storming the island.
His selection for advancement to
the rank of rear admiral was ap-
proved by the President last No
vember. His appointment awaits a
vacancy in the higher rank.
i A native of Van Vert, Ohio. the
48-year- -old air officer graduated
from the Naval Adacemy in the
class of 1921. He served in World
War I as a midshipman aboard the
battleship Ohio.
4 Capt. Moebus was first assigned to
Il H. =