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Show Investigation Is Made Of Crash As with all serious accidents in which aircraft are involved, Mon-; Mon-; day's local accident, in which three lives were lost, has been the .subject .sub-ject of an intensive investigation. Taking part were F. K. McKlveen, air safety investigator for the Civil Aeronautics board, of Santa Monica; Howard Harris, inspector for the Civil Aeronautics administration adminis-tration in Salt Lake City; and Colonel Joe Bergin, state aero-rvMautics aero-rvMautics director. Ably assisted by Ben S. Hillman, co-owner with Stanley H. Vernon, dead pilot, 0f the Piper Cub plane which crashed, a large number of witnesses of the fatal accident and others were interviewed, but, if regular procedure is followed, it will be at least 30 days before the federal board makes a report on the accident. It is believed that Colonel Bergin is the source of an unofficial report that structural defects in the right wing of the plane are believed to have been the cause of the crash, and in case the wing may be needed at Santa Monica or elsewhere for further . examination it now is being held locally under lock and key, subject to requisition by the aeronautics board. Mr. and Mrs. Hillman flew the plane to Idaho for a visit of several days some three weeks ago and, on passing through Salt Lake City on their return, the plane was given a thorough inspection by tlie proper authorities, a procedure regularly followed. With local flights in the interim, Pilot Hillman Hill-man flew the plane to Ely, Nevada and return the Friday preceding the accident, the trip being made without "incident, pretty well establishing estab-lishing the fact that the plane was in serviceable condition, at least to all outward appearances. Mr. Bergin also is authority for the statement that Pilot Vernon had a reputation as a competent pilot, careful, conservative and cautious. While the two Salt Lake investigators in-vestigators came to Milford by plane, Mr. McKlveen came here by car from Pioche, Nevada, where he had been investigating an accident acci-dent which occurred Saturday. It was another Piper Cub which was involved in this crash and it resulted re-sulted in fatal injuries to Lieutenant Lieu-tenant Joseph Mezzano, 23, the pilot, and serious injury to Fred H. Mansir jr., 22. The former had been putting the borrowed plane "through its paces" when the accident acci-dent occurred. He had been serv- ing as senior flying instructor at Bergstrom field, Austin, Texas. Mansir is a steward's mate in the merchant marine. |