Evening star., 1952-08-08
5Reported Dead
In P|aneCrash
Near berryvi||e
z on Way to District
For Oil PorIey; Fifth
Victim Unidentified

Five persons were killed today in
the crash of a twin-engined private
plane eight miles east of Berry
vile. Va. in the fog -shrouded
mountains.
The Civil Aeronautics Admins
tration here said the plane was an
Army surplus A-26 owned by the
Superior Oil Co. of Lafayette, La
The crash in heavy rain and fog
came about 8::45 am. quarter
mile from the weather station atop
Mount Weather. Virginia State po-
lice said the crash scene was at
Ashby's Gap on the ridge of Paris
Mountain. The gap is a few miles
north of Route SO.
Due for Farley Here.
The oil company Office here said
1t was expecting two men aboard
the plane to attend a business
conference this morning. The
fight plan filed with CAA showed
two passengers, a pilot and a CO.
pilot. Several persons at the scene
however, said there were five
bodies.
Roger E. Johnson, manager of
the Washington Office of the oil
firm, said these men were ex-
pected on the plane:
c. M. Finn, about so, director of
personnel in the company's Los
Angeles Office. He is married and
has no children.
BaScom Lang, about 26, head of
personnel in the company's CEN
trail division Office at Midland.
Tex. The company said Mr.. Lang,
who is married and has two chill
dren, boarded the plane at Mid
land.
E. r. White. listed as pilot of
the plane.
Oscar Earl Sivage, co-pilot. Mr..
Sivage has been identified among
the dead, State police informed
CAA.
Left Plane at Midland.
Virginia State police reported
another person aboard the plane
was identified but Mr.. johnson
called Midland and talked to the
man. He was John M. Cody, a
vice president in charge of all
drilling operations, who left the
plane at Midland.
There was no immediate indi-
cation who the fifth person on
the plane might be. At pm,
the only person definitely identi-
fed was Mr.. Sivage.
Mr.. johnson said the plane took
off from Los Angeles yesterday
morning and went to Midland
where Mr.. Cody and another man
left the plane. It then went to
st. Louis.
Checked With AirportS.
According to CAA, the plane,
flying nonstop from st. Louis,
checked with the Cincinnati and
Elkins. w. Va. airports. During
the check with Cincinnati at
1855 am, the pilot asked for
weather information on WASH
ington and Philadelphia. The
plane made it's last report at Ell
kins at 8:38 am.
Charles Fowler, who lives at
Mount Weather Station. was the
first at the scene, which is about
30 yards off the Appalachian Trial.
"I heard an explosion and ran
down there through the rain," he
said.
He was joined almost immedi-
ately by Wing Agnew and William
Elsie, employees at the weather
station.
Body Thrown Clear.
"It was burning so hard, we
couldn't get close" Mr.. Fowler
said. II saw one body. not burned
very badly, thrown clear of the
wreck and another at the edge
OF. the fire. I could see one in the
plane.
THE trees were wet and only
those nearest the wreck were on
fire. The other two fellows ran
back to the station to call for
help and after about 10 minutes
there was another explosion-from
gasoline. I think"
The plane burned for about an
hour and a half, Mr.. Fowler said.
He said the plane struck the
ground on a gentle slope about
a quarter mile from the top of
the mountain ridge.