Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-14
Barley Plane Misses
Collision With BIimp
By Only 50 Feet

A Bit bomber carrying Vice
President Barley narrowly
missed q mid-air collision with
a blimp west of National Airport
last Thursday night. Boiling Air
Force Base has notified the Civil
Aeronautics Administration.
The right wing Of the four
engine. special missions plane
passed within So feet" of the
blimp. members Of the bomber
crew reported.
The incident occurred about
$3.50 pm. over the area known
as Virginia Highlands, south of
the Pentagon Building and an
estimated w miles northwest Of
the National Airport tower at an
altitude Of 1.100 feet, the Boiling
report said.
1.-THE distance between the air.
craft and the blimp was SO close
that the glare of the exhausts
made a reflection on the top skin
of the balloon" according to Co
Pilot 1t. Elmer E. Witten, 20, of
1873 Danbury street S.W.
S/Sergt. Otheller B. Hoke. 80,
of Mineral Wells, Tex, the as
sistant fight engineer. said there
were no lights visible until we
went over the balloon, then it lit
up from its broadside with a
glow Of lights"
A spokesman for the Goodyear
Tire & Rubber Co., operators OF
the blimp, said that it had never
made an approach that close to
the airport and denied that the
ship was darkened.
1.-THE blimp was showing run
ming lights on the front and on
the tail and the logotype sign was
flashing on and off," according to
j. T. Beckley. who is in charge OF
advertising and public relations
for the airship.
It has been in the Washington
area on an advertising project.
1.-THE airship was not in q re-
stricted zone," Mr.. Beckley said.
IF the Bit had come that close
its propeller wash would have
buffeted the blimp and no such
incident was reported by our
crew."
The CAA has not completed its
investigation.
From Hartford, Conn, the Vice
President told newsmen last night
that he didn't know a thing"
Capt. William r. Humrichouse.
80, of 1866 Second street Sc,
pilot of the bomber, said MIR.
Barley was informed of the in
cident after the plane landed.
Capt. Humrichouse, veteran Of
113 combat missions in the Pa
cific, holder of two Silver Stars
and three Distinguished Flying
Crosses, was at the controls OF the
bomber on the left side OF the
cockpit and did not see the blimp,
Boiling officials said.
According to the co-pilot, the
Bit passed above the airship.
Boiling said the National Air
port tower was first contacted for
landing instructions when it.
passed Quantico, Va, at S:16 PM,
flying at 5000 feet.
The bomber was advised to fol-
low a right-hand traffic pattern
and to land on Runway 18-north
to- south. Over Alexandria, eat
$500 feet, the tower was advised
that the aircraft was turning on
its down-wind leg with landing
gear down.
It was near this point, the
Boiling report said, that the right
wing passed over the blimp, which.
was pointed east-west.
The blimp was in charge OF
Capt. Walter Massic, described by
q Goodyear spokesman as a vet
eran of Is years of flying in the
Washington area.
Frank Getty, another repre-
sentative of Goodyear, said the
blimp had been given permission
to fly in the vicinity of Alexan-
dria, carried running lights and
was in radio communication with
the Washington tower.
Coming as the CAA and Civil
Aeronautics Board is still investi-
eating the Eastern Air Lines mid
air crash with a Bolivian fighter
plane November /, the incident
is likely to speed studies on sep
aration Of traffic around National
Airport.
Fifty-flve persons died in the
Eastern crash, which came as
both planes were approaching
National Airport.