Evening star., 1950-07-22

Ralph w. Henry. Murry A. Hubbard.
2/c Murry A. Hubbard, q, of ia
Boyer road S.W., on active reserve
duty at AnacoStia Naval Air Sta
tion, and MetalSmith 1/c Ralph w
Henry, 80, of No. S Leeward Green
S.W., also on active duty with the
Naval Air Reserve training unit
ut Anacostia.
Comdr. Rust and Mr.. Hubbard
died minutes after the plane
caught fire, and Mr.. Henry died al
10 o'clock last night in the hos
pital at Abingdon. Pa.
The injured who are in the same
hospital are 1t. Comdr. Stanley
Chernack, IS. of 1924 Appleton
street NV, said to be the pilot
and 1t. Ernest j. Lawton, jr., SO
of 216 South Courthouse road
Arlington, Va.
Although both the injured mer
were considered in critical condi-
ton last night, doctors at the
hospital said both were progress
ing satisfactorily" today.
Crashed on Return.
The plane, with six men aboard
left Anacostia on an official sup.
ply mission at 9:12 am. yester-
day, bound for the Willow Grove
Naval Air Station, not far from
Philadelphia. The crash occurred
at 1924 pm, after the small
transport became airborne on its
return journey here. Authorities
said J. A. Wagner, an airman ap-
prentice of 1910 Leslie avenue
Alexandria, Va, left the plane be-
fore its fatal return trip.
The plane noSed over so feet
from the ground after taking off
Witnesses said it had taken a
sharp turn of about 160 degrees
and appeared to be coming back
for a landing, when it apparently
developed engine trouble.
The ship ripped through over
head wires. breaking its gasoline
line. Within a matter of Sec
onds, the fuel tank caught fire
and the flames spread to other
parts of the transport. Air sta
ton personnel, wearing asbestos
suits, dragged the victims from
the flames. The wreckage covered
about a 100-yard radius.
Soon after the crash, an air
plane containing next of kin and
medical officers was dispatched to
the scene from Anacostia.
Plane Engine Expert.
Comdr. Rust, who also was a
pilot, was considered an expert
in the assembly and repair OF
aircraft. He was born in Sea
Bright. N. j.. and received hiE
education in the United States
and England. Before entering
service, he was a marine engineer
by profession, holding licenses OF
both American coasts.
He enlisted as a seaman secone
class in 1928, and was placed or
inactive duty, with the commits
sion of ensign in 1880. He re-
entered the service in 1885 ane
had been on active duty evel
since, including tenures as fligh1
instructor at naval air stations ir
Seattle, Pensacola, Corpus Christi
Coco Solo, Panama and elsewhere
Comdr. Rust is survived by his
widow, Mrs. Harriet Rust; three
daughters, Mrs. Nancy Anthony
of Pensacola, and the Misses Bar
bara and Jacqueline Rust, and q
sister, Mrs. Howard Judson OF
Port Washington, N. Y. Comdr
Rust's mother is Mrs. B. c. Walk
er of Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, and his father is George
Rust of Flushing, N. Y.
Mr.. Hubbard was born in Pat
rick County, Va, and was edu
Gated there. He came to Wash
ington in 1943 to enter aviation
cadet training and has served a
Anacostia since 1946 as a full
time reservist. His widow is Mrs
Estella Hubbard, 81. There ar
two children, Wayne, S. and Jos
eph, 8 months old. His mothe
is Mrs. A. j. Hubbard. The air
mans father is dead. A sister
Mrs. Pearl Tilton, lives at 361
South Kemper road, Arlington
Authorities said Mr.. Hubbard wa
on the plane putting in flight time
Returned to Service.
A veteran of Pacific service Il
World War II, Mr.. Henry had beel
in service since 1912, when h
trained at the Great Lakes Train
Ing Center, Chicago. He also say
duty at the Navy pier installation
there and at naval air stations a
New York, Norfolk, Va, and Sal
Diego, Calf. He served with Flee
Air Wing No. IA and, in 1945, wa