Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-11-02
Air Crash, Fatal to Al
Probed in Colorado
Dead Include
Washington
Health Aide

LoNGMoNT. Colo. Nov z F1.
investigators sought possible
causes Of q United Air Lines
plane crash, which killed "A per-
sons. as the grim task Of renoy-
Ing bodies was completed today.
The four-elgine Dc6B airliner.
reported by some to have ex-
ploded ii flight. cracked UP in .
sugar beet field In windswept
Northern Colorado last night.
The dead included 80 passengers.
one an infant. and i've crew
members.
Among the victims was Or.
Harold r. Sandstead, ST.. Of EiI-
yer Spring, Nd, a medical d.
rector at the National Institutes
Of Health at Bethesda, Nd, and
one Of the country's outstanding
authorities In the field Of nu-
triton.
additional details on Page
A-6.)
It was the second such disaster
for q UAL plane In this vicinity
within q month.
Witnesses Accounts Vary
IA UAL spokesman declined to
speculate on what happened to
the New York -to-Seattle plane,
explaining that accounts Of Wit
nesses varied widely. He said
statements were being taken
from all available.
some say 1t exploded in the
air, others that it hit the ground
and exploded. 7 the spokesman
said. 1T is difficult for US to say
what took place. That probably
will have to be determined by the
Civil Aeronautics Board
The air line reported at 8 am.
tMSTl that all IA bodies had
been taken to funeral homes at
GreeIsy. III miles northeast cf
the crash site.
OhiciaIs Going TO Scene
While the Civil Aeronautirs
Board win have charge Of the
Investigation, the Civil Aelonau-
tics Authority ii washington
announced that three Of Its top
( ofIicials also were leaving for
the scene. The CAA said they
will try TO find out il any type
Of immediate remedial action ID
necessary" pending outcome Of
the investigation.
A number of United'S fight
engineers are on strike over job
security, but a spokesman for
the line IN New York said there
was no connection between the
strike and the crash.
by all means. no. he added.
He said that in place of q
regular fight engineer on the
crashed plane was q pilot who
was fully qualified and licensed
as flight engineer also
The line. he SAID. made sure
that ANYBODY assigned as a fight
engineer was trained and licensed
to perform flight engineer duties.
Tell OF Hearing Explosion
Two witnesses told of hearing
an explosion before the craft
crashed in the field and another
after It crashed.
Jake Hell. said he and his
family Thought it was going to
hit the house" on their farm. He
fixed the time at 1908 pm. INST
1898 pm. EST.
/ And John Mcneil, night
marshal at Playette, Colo, s
miles away, reported he saw two
Ifares in the air. q sort Of an
1explosion-then q big bright
hight
Chief Gilbert r. Carrel Of the
colorado Highway Patrol and
lother Investigators said the ac-
counts Of an explosion were being
checked. None would venture 3
possible explanation.
Unlike the UAL. crash, which
killed 66 persons October 9,
! when q plane smashed into
4 Medicine Bow Peak near Laramie.
Wyo.. this accident occurred over
comparatively level country q
lifew miles east OF the Colorado
1 Rockies, The Medicine Bow crash
WAS the worst commercial air.
line disaster tn United States
history from the standpoint Of
lives lost.
Wreckage and bodies In last
i Continued on Page AS, Col. 3