DE PINEDO DEAD

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 291, 4 September 1933, Page 9

DE PINEDO DEAD

Famous Italian Flyer HUGE PLANE CRASHES Tragedy With Element of Mystery TAKING OFF FOR BAGDAD V- " ' ' : I r ~—- Attempt on Distance Record _ Y: I By Telegraph—‘Press Assn. —Copyright. (Received September 3, 7.59 p.m.) New York, September 2. A varied career, ranging from Italy's air champion to virtual.exile, ended tragically and mysteriously early this morning, when General Francesco de Pinedo met a flaming death through his huge aeroplane crashing and burning. General de Pinedo was starting to take-off for Bagdad in an endeavour to set a new world non-stop long distance flight. A load of 1027 gallons of petrol caused the plane to swerve from the concrete runway at Floyd Bennett airport, and it hit a fence. In a second it was a roaring mass of was burned beyond recognition. Attendants tffied vainly to pull Beach, naval machinist’s mate, was badly burned - about the face in trying to reach General de Pineda with a fire-extinguisher. His body was found beside the metal wreckage. Officials consider he had jumped and had attempted bo crawl away. The plane had covered about 2000 feet of the mile-long concrete runway. Lurching under its load, it refused .to rise. One wheel got off the ground, but fell back. The plane swerved into the dirt alongside the runway. General de Pinedo, going perhaps 100 miles an

hour, got ib back to the concrete, but it again swerved a moment later and dashed toward a steel wire fence. The - flyer applied the brakes, but-was still travelling at 70 miles an hour when ■h6‘-Struck.’ - nI.U The plane was elaborately fitted out. It had 1 been tuned for weeks by General de Pinedo and his technical adviser and his backer, Signor Ugo d’Annunzio, son of Gabriel d’Annunzio, the poet. ■ Ludicrous Costume. General.de Pinedo’s ludicrous costume as he arrived on the field caused the handful of spectators present to laugh. He wore a blue lounge suit, grey bowler hat, a silk muffler around his neck, and light blue-bedroom slip : pers. He conversed casually with the mechanics and attendants, supervised the fuelling, and after the motor had been tuned insisted that a gallon' or so of petrol had been used and ordered it to be replaced. . ' , The extra long runway from which many heavily-laden craft had successfully taken off was extended 800 feet to provide for the unusual weight of the machine. General de Pinedo’s monoplane was named Santa Lucia, and carried over 1000 gallons of fuel, the total weight being nearly 10,000 pounds. As he gained momentum down the runway he appeared to have suffered the common misfortune of losing control of the tail, as the rudder is useless in the interim between the tail leaving the ground and the aeroplane arising tn the air. Such circumstances as a side burst of wind, a heavy torque from the engine, or a rough spot bn the runway are likely to cause disaster. At 1200 feet one of these occurred. One of the wheels left, the runway. Instead of halting, General de Pinedo managed to regain the runway, but 2000 feet later the aeroplane again slewed. This time General de Pinedo was unable to save himself. The aeroplane left the runway, started across the grass toward the field’s administration building, sending the spectators scurrying for safety. General de Pinedo managed to avoid the structure, but tore through a steel fence. Twenty-five feet further on the craft turned on its side. General de Pinedo was plainly seen standing In the cockpit. It Is possible he was dazed, but he seemed to be making a belated effort to turn off the ignition and prevent an explosion. A man following on a motor-cycle with a fireextinguisher tried to reach the wreck, but the flames spread so rapidly that, he was forced to retreat with a badlyburned face. General de Pinedo’s charred body was removed by firemen who played water on the wreckage/for two hours, when nothing was left but the metul framework and the specially-built cabin. The aeroplane was Ingeniously equipped with many devices to prevent oversleeping, including an automatic alarm clock and hose connected with the altimeter to throw cold water on his face when the plane was below a certain altitude. He carried no raft, depending on his empty petrol tanks to keep afloat if necessary. He had a limited supply of food, but took fishing equipment to supply food if he was down on the ocean for any length of time. The preparation for the flight extended over months, but there had been delays owing to unfavourable weather. General de Pinedo hoped he would create a straight-line distance record. “Curious” Carelessness. While aviation circles, and particularly his Italian friends, scoffed at the published dispatches from Rome, where it was rumoured that General 1 de Pinedo mights have been motivated by suicidal Impulse, aviation experts ' who were eye-witnesses of the crash

agreed that his carelessness was ’’curious.” . . His manager, d’Annunzio,. is gnelstricken and mystified. Through tears he said: “He must- have forgotten all he knew about flying. When a plane starts to zig’zag everyone knows that the further you go the worse the zigzagging becomes.” He referred to the fact that before the,crash the plane wavered on the runway, and many watchers were 1 of opinion that he should have stopped immediately, as a heavily-loaded aeroplane is most difficult to handle in such circumstances. D’Annunzio offered as an explanation of the crash the fact that General de Pinedo’s protracted idleness made him restless, ready to stake everything on the craft’s ability to rise. He was so intent on getting off the ground that he must have forgotten to turn off the ignition or dump the gasoline when he was in trouble. There are many rumours concerning, the cause of General de Pinedo’s break with the Mussolini Government. They mainly centre around alleged differences with General Balbo and the attention he paid the King’s daughter, now Queen of the Bulgarians. It is said that his inactivity in aviation as attache to the legation at Buenos Aires was most distasteful to him and caused his resignation and determination to attempt, a private aviation venture. Despite differences with the Rome Government, General de Pinedo had prepared to fly over Rome and drop a marker. Since the announcement of the venture on May 8 he remained in semiseclusion and frowned on publicity respecting the flight. Yesterday few knew he was preparing to start to-day, with the result that but a handful of people were present to witness the tragedy. FRENCHMEN DISTRESSED (Received September 8, 7 p.m.) Paris, September 2. The non-stop long-distance aviators, Codos and Rossi, are distressed at de Pinedo's death. They pay a tribute to his pluck and skill. Following a series of noteworthy exploits as an airman, General the Marquis de Pinedo was appointed chief of the Italian Aeronautical Staff in 1928, but about a year later his resignation was announced. His first long-distance flight, in 1925, was' from Rome to Melbourne and Tokio and back to Rome, and then in 1927 he crossed and recrossed the Atlantic, when he had a very narrow escape while at Arizona, his machine being totally destroyed by fire. The Marquis and his crew were uninjured, and the flight was continued, after a long delay, in another plane. In recognition of his heroism King George V, in June, 1927, conferred upon the Marquis the Air Force Cross, the highest decoration that can be conferred on an English aviator, while in 1928 President Coolidge conferred upon him America’s air distinction, the Distinguished Flying Orpss. General de Pinedo/ was 48 yenro of ago.