Salt Lake Telegram | 1938-09-22 | Page 5 | Air Chief Death Stirs Inquiries

AIR CHIEF DEATH STIRS INQUIRIES BURBANK Cal Sept 22 AThe Jp- Jp The deaths of Major r General Oscar Westover United States army air corps chief and his personal pilot Sergeant Sam Hynes in a power spin of their attack plane yesterday yesterday yesterday yester yester- day afternoon became the subject today of three inquiries As Brigadier General H. H H. H Arnold Arnold Arnold Ar Ar- nold assumed the title of acting chief of the air corps an army board of Inquiry headed by Lieutenant Colonel Harvey S. S Burwell commander commander com corn mander of the Nineteenth bombardment bombardment bombard bombard- ment group was named to investigate Invest Invest- investigate gate the cause of the crash which brought flaming death to the pair An inquest will be held Monday Mon lon day morning In addition there will be an InquIry in inquiry In- In by the newly created federal civil l aeronautics authority Robert Hinckley of Salt Lake take City one of the authority announced Hinckley explained the scene of the crash in a residential area mak makes it within with in our jurisdiction tion to conduct an inspection President Roosevelt In Washington Washing Washing- ton sent his condolences to the gener generals general's generals general's gen gen- er eral's l' l widow The president said the general was a gallant soldier soldier soldier-a a atrue true friend one friend one whose loss the nation nation na na- tion lion nor his friends can afford General Westover a short stocky man flew his own on plane and possessed rating as heavier than air pilot airplane observer observe lighter than air pilot and balloon observer He was born In Bay City Mich i 55 years ago He enlisted in the army at the age of 18 and later was was was' appointed to West Point from Michigan Mich Mich- ich- ich igan He was commissioned a second second second sec sec- ond lieutenant on graduation in 1906 When President Roosevelt gave the army the task of carrying the airmail Westover was assigned to direct the service Witnesses said they noticed the plane flying low for a landing Suddenly Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly it appeared to make a move to climb Then it went into a spin from a height of about feet plowing with terrific Impact into a ahouse ahouse ahouse house and setting it afire er Westover was returning from the army air field near Riverside Cal Cat to Los Angeles for the American American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean Legion convention General Westover is survived by his widow a son Lieutenant Oscar Westover Jr Kelly Field Texas and a daughter Mrs Patricia Fru- Fru wife of Lieutenant Fruden- Fruden thaI thal of Boiling Bolling Field Virginia Sergeant Hynes 39 resided at Boiling Field His widow and his two sons Donald 4 and Mark 1 survive I Killed in Crash T i 1 w r iL 1 A rr p w GENERAL OSCAR WESTOVER Three agencies to investigate