ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 196174
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| Date: | Sunday 31 March 1935 |
| Time: | afternoon |
| Type: | Velie Monocoupe |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near the radio station WMAQ, a quarter of a mile north of Elmhurst air -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Elmhurst airport |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
"The pilot of a small cabin plane and his passenger were killed yesterday afternoon when they crashed near the transmitting plant of radio station WMAQ, a quarter of a mile north of Elmhurst airport at Church road and Lake street In Du Page county.
The small ship, a Velie Monocoupe, vith a 65 horse power engine, crashed from a height of about 250 feet, smash- ing into the ground only 25 feet from the east tower of the radio station.
The dead pilot was Laverne W. Abbott, 35 years old, 17 North La. vergne avenue, who had more than 500 flying hours to his credit and was regarded as an experienced airman.
The passenger was Claude Morin, 28 years old, 921 East Marquette road, a friend of Abbott.
Friend Sees Death Crash.
The two victims, accompanied by Morin's wife, Millie, 29 years old. had driven to the airport with Mr.. and Airs. William Smith, 4846 West North avenue. It had been planned that both Morin and Smith would accom- pany Abbott on the flight, but at the airport they decided that because of the smallness of the plane s cabin only two of them would go aloft. Morai became the passenger when Mrs. Smith persuaded her husband not to go up.
William Beckner, an official of the airport where Abbott stored his ship, told the details of the crash to Sherif Arthur Bennett of Du Page county.
"They left the airport about 3 o clock," said Beckner. " I was watch Ing them as Abbott swung the ship north after flying over the airport at about 250 or 300 feet. He was going in the direction of the radio station towers.
"Just beyond the west tower Abbott attempted to make a turn to the west. The plane, however, wheeled about in a complete circle, and spun between the two towers, cracking up in a field near the east one. We ran over there and found both men pinned in the wreckage.
Morin was dead and Abbott died on the way to Elmhurst hospital."
No Chance to Escape.
Beckner said apparently Abbott switched off the ignition just before the crash. Neither man wore a para- chute. but Beckner said they would not have had time to use them any- way because there was not sufficient drop to have allowed the chutes to open.
Abbott, who was president of the Chicago Motors company, 4944 West Madison street, had a private pilot s license. From his business associates It was learned that lie was a flyer during the war, serving at Kelly field in Texas. They said Abbott bought the plane last winter for $250 from a man living In Cary, where Abbott's mother lives.
Only a few days ago, one of the men said, Abbott remarked that he was "a little afraid of the way the ship acted." A week ago, his associates said, Abbott broke a crank shaft on the plane but landed it without any trouble.
Plane Built in 1928.
Beckner sald the plane was built In 1928, when efforts were being made to put a popular priced ship on the market. The only cause for the accident advanced by any of the pilots was that Abbott attempted to make a fast turn down and that tbe ship went out of control."
Sources:
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1935/04/01/page/1/article/air-tragedies-cost-6-lives
____________________
http://elmhurst.wikispaces.com/%E2%80%A2Elmhurst++Airport?responseToken=0198b3fc540f8de788186abd067a21132
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velie_Monocoupe
http://gobinkley.com/http:/gobinkley.com/1928-monocoupe-velie-model-70-for-sale-on-barnstormers/watermarked_0ef7fdfb5f47cade6e2407db5227bbaf/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/watermarked_0ef7fdfb5f47cade6e2407db5227bbaf.jpg
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Jun-2017 12:44 | Iceman 29 | Added |
| 17-Jun-2017 12:44 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo, ] |
| 17-Jun-2017 12:45 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo, ] |
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