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Show State Probe Looms in Crash of S. L. Borrowed Plane - BOARD MOVES -TO FIX EARLY-HEARING EARLY-HEARING DATE Crackup Marks First . Licenseless Solo, Says Ship Owner State investigation of the crackup of a "borrowed" homemade home-made plane loomed Wednesday as the flier, who had never soloed so-loed before, marveled that he escaped with only a slight cut and bruises. The maker of the plane, however, how-ever, aadly surveyed $2.V damage to the ahip he had apent hia apare time and $600 of his money building. build-ing. Facing an Investigation by the state aeronautics commission is Bob Kelly. 22, of 153 Pierpont avenue, a railroad fireman, who crashed the ship on the Denver A Rio Grande Western railroad tracks at Twenty-seventh Twenty-seventh South and Sixth West streets Tuesday afternoon. W. D. Hammond, chairman of the state commission, and J. E. Garn. state director of aeronautics, are in Washington, D. C.. and data of their return here is not known. Early Probe Sought Preston G. Peterson and George Abbott, other members of tha commission, com-mission, telegraphed Mr. Hammond Wednesday to find out how soon he can be expected back. Data of the expected hearing depends upon the reply to the telegram, it was explained. Mr. Peterson and Mr. Abbott were preparing, however, to hold the hearing themselves if Mr. Hammond Ham-mond will not return for some time. Harry J. Thalman, 1001 Fremont venue, who built the craft, accused ac-cused Kelly of taking It without permission and over the objections of Mr. Thalman's mother. Mrs. Robtrt Rob-trt Thalman. and his wife. "I'm not planning any action," Mr. Thalman said, "for I think the state has a good case, sine Kelly has no pilot's license, and he evidently evi-dently was stunting and flying too low." Evidence Collected R. W. Groo, superintendent of the itate highway patrol, meanwhile, was directing a probe of the crash to obtain evidence for the aeronautics aero-nautics commission. The plane, he reported, was not registered. Mr. Thalman and Kelly have been Hying together in the plane for the past several months. The engine, purchased for $150, as Kelly's contribution to con-rtruction con-rtruction of the ship. Tuesday afternoon he mad the ounds of several garages in which le waa known, informing his friends l was "going to go down and take he ship up to show them he could." With an unnamed companion he vent to the Thalman bom and ushed the ship out of the garage, vhile Mrs. Thalman was attempting o get word by telephone to her msband, who works in a downtown arage. Despite, alleged attempts to stop! hem on the part of tha two women, (elly and hia companion taxied the (Continued on Pan Flrt) (Column On I PLANE CRASH JI0BLL00MS (Coatlnutd from Past Om) plan to m near-by field, but her the companion "backed out" and Kelly took off alone. Protests Disregarded For 20 minutes he stunted the ship in the vicinity, according to observers. ob-servers. "I was onljabouUOlLfeetjiff the ground when she went into a stall," ha reported Wednesday. "I started to dive to pick up speed, but I didn't Bet coins; fast enough to pull out of it before I hit the ground. I guess I was going about 40 miles an hour then." From evidence at the crash scene, the plane struck with its nose and landing gear on one set of the double dou-ble railroad tracks, then bounced to the second set of tracks. Only Nosebleed The motor evidently was still running after the plana first hit, for th propeller was splintered to bits along 40 feet of the track," Mr. Thalman said. The motor was damaged considerably, consider-ably, but th wings and fuselage escaped serious damage. Not on of th Joints Mr. Thalman had welded was broken. His nose bleeding but otherwise unhurt. Kelly fled from. Jiia scan as police and county authorities started a search. He was found at bis home several hours later. "I wanted to get my money's worth out of the $150 I put in that plan and, believe me, I got it," Kelly said Wednesday. "I have had about 12 hours of flying instruction, some of it here, but most of it while I was in the army at Hawaii. I'm perfectly willing will-ing to go before th state commission commis-sion and make my report." |