Show Flying Fortress Crash Kills Crew of Six 4 MARCH FIELD Cal Dec 19 UP The UP-The The crash of a four- four motored army flying fortress which killed six air corps officers and enlisted men was attributed tentatively Thursday to fail fail- ure of the gasoline supply The plane a ton 22 Boeing bomber bomb bomb- er plowed Into the heavily timbered timbered timbered tim tim- slope of af Marion mountain near Idyllwild Cal and burst into flames The bodies of all aH crew members but the pilot were badly burned and the big plane was a heap of af molten metal March Field officials believed the crash while the pilot pilat was attempting to switch his gasoline gasoline gasoline gas gas- oline supply but ordered a thorough thorough thor thor- ough augh investigation by a board of inquiry The crash was the first accident involving the new Boeing bomber since its adoption by the army air corps as standard bombardment equipment although its prototype crashed at Dayton Ohio in 1935 March Field First wing headquarters headquarters headquarters head head- quarters of af the G. G H H. Q Q reported the following officers and men killed Pilot Harold J. J Turner first lieutenant lieutenant lieutenant lieu lieu- tenant air reserve formerly of Corning Iowa Copilot Donald T T. Ward first lieutenant air corps formerly of West Los Angeles Cal Vernon McCauley first lieutenant air corps of Riverside Riverside Riverside River River- side Ca Cal Engineer Thomas S S. Sweet staff sergeant Riverside Assistant Engineer Frank J J. J J. Jirak corporal formerly of Salem Ore Radio James C. C Sessions Sessions Sessions Ses Ses- private Bisbee Ariz Members of af the board of af Inquiry in inquiry inquiry In- In expressed an unofficial opinIon opinIon opinion ion that Pilot Turner was attempting attempt attempt- ing to shift the fuel supply to the motors from one ane tank to another They believed that at least two and perhaps all all of af the motors had cut out aut at the time of the crash All occupants stayed with the ship and had made no attempt to bail out aut indicating they had not believed themselves In dan dan- ger I |