Aviation Accident Report: 1935 private Welch aircraft crash

by Eugene L. Vidal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
BUREAU OF AIR COMMERCE
Washington

 

STATEMENT OF PROBABLE CAUSE
CONCERNING AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT
WHICH OCCURRED TO A PRIVATELY OWNED PLANE
ON APRIL 22, 1935, at PORTLAND, INDIANA

 

To the Secretary of Commerce:

 

On April 22, 1935 at about 2:38 p.m. at Brigham Airport, Portland, Indiana, a privately owned airplane spun to the ground with resultant death to the pilot and one passenger and the complete destruction of the aircraft.

The plane, a Welch, model OW-6M, owned by Fred Bimel of Portland, Indiana, was not a licensed aircraft but bore Department of Commerce identification No. 13521. The pilot, Glen Berger, did not hold any class of pilot's license issued by the Department of Commerce. The passenger, Orlo Bishop, was from Portland, Indiana.

According to statements of witnesses, the pilot had made about two-thirds of a turn necessary to get the plane in a direction for landing on the airport when he throttled his engine to complete his landing approach in a glide. At this time the nose of the plane was seen to drop and the plane continued into the ground from an altitude of about 250 feet in what appeared to be a spiral. The plane was equipped with dual controls which had not been removed. It is possible that the passenger interfered with the controls during the glide for a landing but it is not thought probable.

It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's failure to properly handle the aircraft.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Eugene L. Vidal
Director of Air Commerce

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