Friday, June 21, 2019

Plane Crash at Morris NY Field - 1937

Plane Crash at Morris, NY
July 6, 1937

Belief that Captain George Stead of this city [Norwich, Chenango Co., NY], his employer, H.H. Linn of Morris [Otsego Co., NY] and Mrs. Dorothea Hansen of Endicott [Broome Co., NY], who lost their lives in an airplane accident at Morris airport Saturday afternoon, met death before the four-cabin passenger plane burst into flames, was expressed Tuesday by those who visited the scene of the wreckage Monday.  Those who viewed the ruins of the fatality are of the opinion that the victims were killed when the ship crashed to the ground just a moment before it burst into flames.

Captain Stead, Mr. Linn and Mrs. Hansen died instantly, but the latter's husband, Arthur Hansen, 34, escaped death and was taken to the Bassett Hospital at Cooperstown where his condition is reported serious.  Mr. Hansen was badly burned, but hopes are held out for his recovery.

Both Mrs. Linn and Mrs. Stead were eye witnesses to the accident that cost their husbands' lives.  Mrs. Stead, standing at the field to watch the take-off, collapsed when the plan's wing tip hit a tree and the machine fell to earth and burst into flames. She was treated for shock at the Oneonta Hospital, but later came to her home in Norwich.  Mrs. Linn was driving from Morris to her home when she saw the take-off and the crash. She drove to the field, and then, because "there was nothing I could do," went on to her home.

Lee Brant, an Oneonta salesman, was an eye witness to the fatal crash, and he gave this version of the accident to state police.  He was driving past the private Linn landing field about 2 o'clock, saw the plane flying low and stopped to watch it, as he thought it might be stunting.  He saw the nose go up suddenly and the ship drop off into a hollow at one side of the field, as though the pilot were trying to pick up speed.  Then a wing hit a small tree and the ship leaped crazily.  It crashed about 100 feet from where the wing struck. At the take-off the machine was flying just above the top of the brush growth, it was said. When it hit it burst into flames and the Oneonta man saw Mr. Hansen thrown from the blazing wreck.  He ran to his side and found him staring dazedly at the wreckage. By this time, others attracted by the crash ran to the scene.  persons tried valiantly to rescue the three pinned in the heap, but were driven back by the fierce heat. Firemen from Morris were unable to get their apparatus near the scene until a tractor was pressed into service to haul it through the brush.  After investigating with state police, Coroner Norman W. Getman of Oneonta declared the death of Mrs. Hansen, Captain Stead and Mr. Linn accidental.

Friends related Tuesday that Captain Stead had had two ships burn under him prior to the one of Saturday.  Ten or 12 years ago, just after he landed on his father's farm in Guilford, his ship burst into flames.  Neither he nor his brother Kenneth, who was with him at that time, suffered any injury.

In 1933, while flying over Mitchell field in an army plane, Captain Stead and another pilot had a thrilling experience when their plane burst into flames and they were forced to bail out over New Brunswick.  He was on active duty at Mitchell field at that time.

Captain Stead was a close friend of Jack Wright, Utica aviator, and had been closely identified with aviation at the Norwich airport with the late Warren E. Eaton, glider enthusiast.

Linn, a native of Washburn, Me., went to Morris in 1917, and subsequently established his trailer manufacturing business.  Several years ago he constructed a hangar and field in "Patrick's Hill" near his home to facilitate his use of airplanes in business trips.  He was 60 years old and vice president of the American Tractor Company of Morris.  He owned four airplanes and made all his business trips in them.  His private field had one runway.

Funeral services for the late Mr. Linn were held from his home Tuesday afternoon at Morris.  Services for Mrs. Hansen, whose father, Charles Stone, was superintendent of the Linn Tractor plant at Morris, were held at Morris Tuesday morning and the body will be taken to Dexter, Me., for burial. With her husband she had gone to Morris to visit her parents, and with him and Captain Stead, had started to fly to Syracuse with Mr. Linn, who was going on business.   The funeral of Captain Stead, private pilot for Mr. Linn since 1935 will be held Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock in Emmanuel Episcopal church.  Mr. Hansen, for whom hopes are held for recovery, is a foreman in the plant of the International Business Corporation at Endicott.

John Somers of Buffalo, department of commerce inspector, tested the hillside airport at Morris Sunday in an effort to determine the cause of the crash.  He made several landings on the filed, after making a long inspection of the terrain from the air, but released no statement of his opinion and will report his findings to government officials.


No comments:

Post a Comment