The Daily Alaska empire., 1949-12-05
Fenster Has
 Broken Neck,
 x-RayReveaIs
Mi. Edgetimbe Doetor Car ing for Plane Crash Pilot
 Operation Not Needed

Mike Fenster, 28-year-old we'll known Juneau pilot of the Grum- man flying boat which crashed near Wrangell Friday with loss o1 enc life, was found to have suffered a fractured vertebrae in his neck it was revealed today.
 Fenster was brought here by Alaska Coastal Airlines co-managel Sheldon Simmons Saturday after. noon, apparently suffering only 1 from slight cuts and bruises anc some shock.
 Later. after treatment, he seemed completely on the mend, other than complaining of a sore neck. Com pany officials asked that an X-raJ be taken, which showed the fiftt vertebrae fractured. Placed in St Ann's Hospital, a plane was sent immediately for Dr. Phillip Moore orthopedic surgeon at Mt. Edge cumbe Hospital, but was unahle tc return until this morning. | Dr. Moore advised the company this afternoon that he believed ar operation would not be necessary but that the injured vertebrat would heal with time and hospita care. The pilot is at present undei traction" with a 30-pound weight attached to his head
 The body of Miss Margaret Ada l Annis, 42 years old, was shipped tc Seattle on board the Baranof tt her family home in Puyallup Wash. The body was brought here aboard the same plane which car ried Fenster.
 OTHERS INJURED
 David Dreibelbus, Juneau adding machine agent. among those hos pitalized in Wrallgca after Leine rescued from a trapper's cabin 2 mile from the crash scene, wat found to have a compressed yer !, tebrae in his back, according to ad- vices reaching Simmons from O. F Benecke, AGA general office man. ager, who was on the scene shortly i; after the wreck. He accompanied 1 three passengers into Wrangell or board the boat Totem.
 Others in the Wrangell hospita are: A. "Zeke" Dale, of Hood Bay who sustained two broken legs, anc Harry Dierks of Wrangell, cuts and bruises.
 June Otness, only other woman passenger on board, was taken te Petersburg, her home, by Coast | Guard cutter. Benecke said a thor ough examination failed to show i serious injuries, although it was not known if x-rays were taken.
 Dreibelbus also was treated fol a sprained wrist and a cut ovei one eye.
 1 Fenster was taking the Peters burg -Wrangell- ll-Ketchikan run wher the accident occurred. A short dis tance from Petersburg, a sudder snowstorm came up, and Fenstel decided to "sit down" until il abated As he lost altitude, he realized he was above the mud anc grass of Knig Slough on the Stikine Flats, but because of the blindine snow could not do other than at. tempt to glide into the mud. The plane came to an abrupt stop when it touched, causing los! ] of it's left wing and engine.
 Despite his injuries, Fenstel turned off the master switch ant aided all passengers to the ground and struggled through the ankle deep mud mile to trapper' cabin for aid. He returned with th' trapper to help, until all were saf' in the shelter. A river boat rescued them at high tide next day. | Benecke was expected here abou i3 o'clock this afternoon, but weather was uncertain, and his ar rival might be delayed, company officials said.
 Fenster is married and has young son.