Evening star., 1951-06-05
horniingside
Air Crash Laid
1oFueI Lack
Colonel Tells Court
Cos Shortage Could
Cause Plane to Veer
BY J. B. Zotmon
Stor Stoff Corresnondant

pY - y. %QtUQU
Star Ssoff Correspondent
BALTIMORE, June 5.-An Ar
drews Field Force Base officer sal
today he believes the pilotleSs B-2
plane which crashed into a Morn
ingside home last April 8, KILN
three persons, had veered off 1t
course because Of lack of fuel.
The testimony came from Co
Robert Collins, commanding of
ficer of the Maintenance and Sup
ply Group at the base.
This was the first official rea
son advanced for the suddel
plunge to the ground of the twin
engine bomber after it's control
had been set to take it owe
Chesapeake Bay and the three
man crew had parachuted t.
safety.
First Defense Witness.
Col. Collins was the first defens
witness called as the trial of tn
planes pilot, Capt. Paul v. Chap
man, 33, on manslaughter charge
entered its second day befor
Judge w. Calvin Chestnut in Fed
eral District Court here.
AS today's hearing opened
States Attorney Carlyle Ian
caster Of Prince Georges Count,
rested for the prosecution.
Assistant United States Attor
ney Frederick j. Green, jr., de
Tending Chapman, because tn,
latter was on duty at the time
then moved TO dismiss the charges
Landing Gear damned.
Mr.. Green said yesterdays tes.
timony showed the plane wa
abandoned over the field after it,
crew could not shake loose tht
Landing gear because it was be,
heved the craft would maintain s
level flight. He contended ther,
was no evidence to prove gros.
negligence.
Judge Chestnut overruled tn,
motion pending introduction of al
evidence in the case.
Col. Collins advanced his the
ory IN response to q question b,
Judge Chestnut. Witnesses yester
day said they believed there wa
enough fuel In the plane tank t.
fly 1t another half hour when /
was abandoned.
Gauges Termed Unreliable.
According to Col. Collins, how
ever. fuel gauges are unreliable
when the supply of gas is low.
AS a result of the tragedy, Col
Collins said the fields operatinf
procedure for abandoning plane.
has been changed so that they vii
be abandoned in the future only
in more isolated areas.
In answering another question
by Judge Chestnut, Col. Collins
said even If the plane had had
an automatic pilot there was NJ
assurance that a faltering engine
would not have thrown the Graf
out Of control after the crew
jumped. He also testified ther,
was not enough left of the plane
after the crash to determine wha
caused 1t to crash.
Killed last April 3 when tn,
pilotless plane plummeted into tn.
home Of M/Sergt. Samuel r. 6ny.
der were the two Snyder children
Kay. 6, and Rene Denise, 8 weeks
and their uncle, Erwin N. duyel
Of Crawford. N. j.
Co-pilot Testiles.
Most Of yesterdays hearing wa.
devoted to testimony from thu
co-pilot Of the Inflated plane
Capt. Robert T. Sander, 80.
He told the court that he, Capt
Chapman and Sergt. j. E. AL.
bright, the engineer, took of ir
the twin-engine light bomber il
a fight to test the hydraulic
system.
About an hour before, he testi.
fied, the plane had been taken
off the flight line for a hydraulic
defect, and a new cylinder was
installed.
AS the craft became airborne
he told the court, the landing gear
1ammed and could not be re-
tracted.
On the advice Of control tower
officials, he said, Capt. Chapman
dived sharply several times in an
attempt to shake the wheels loose
He said the pilot finally sue
ceeded in getting the left wheel
down in locked position as well
as the nose wheel.
Finally, after the crippled plane
had been flying over the Andrew,
area about four hours, the wit.
ness said, Capt. Chapman decided
to abandon the craft in the vicin.
tty Of the air base.
Iested F1iOtleSg Flight.
He said the decision was mad.
to aim 1t in the general direction
OF Chesapeake Bay because ths'
would take the plane over thu
least populated section. A few
minutes before, he added, he hae
flown 1t with "hands of" to checl
whether the plane would maintain
q level flight, and it did so.
States Attorney Carlyle J. Ian.
caster, who is prosecuting the case
centered his fire on the decision tc
abandon the plane over the base
Timing Of Jump Protested.
He pointed out the bay is about
10 miles from the base and con.
tended Capt. Chapman could have
remained in the plane a few min.
utes longer to make certain Il
would not deviate from its course
Other witnesses included Col
Glynn F. Shumake, deputy opera.
tions officer at the base, and Capt
James w. Leyland. pilot instruc.
tor.
Both testified they were in tn,
control tower when Capt. Chap.
man was advised to bail out owe,
the field. but both admitted tn,
hnal decision on that. as well a