The crash and resulting explosion attracted the attention of Mr. L.A. James and his wife who live a mile and a half from the scene of the crash and were nearest inhabitants. The plane flying from north to south at a speed estimated by the Accident Board to be between 180 and 200 MPH hit the tree tops in a left wing low altitude of 45 degrees or more, sliced through 36 yards of trees, glanced from the top of the first ridge, shown in accompanying diagram (In Air Force Accident Report), and exploded upon impact with the next ridge. While the apparent altitude of the airplane was left wing low, the direction of travel was straight forward, more or less eliminating the possibility of a spiral.
Author: Jennifer Holik
Published at: 2025-11-07 14:08:52
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