Versailles, KY Private Plane Crashes, Jan 1959

PLANE FLYING FROM HERE CRASHES, KILLING FOUR.

PSYCHIATRIST, AIDE TWO OTHERS DEAD.

Versailles (UPI) -- A prominent Lexington psychiatrist and three other persons were killed 15 miles south of here Monday night when his private plane crashed and burned on a return flight from eastern Kentucky.
State police identified the victims as DR. H. HALBERT LEET, about 45, head of a psychiatric clinin in Lexington; LEOBARD GROSS, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Kentucky and an employe of the clinic; FRANK BANCROFT, a writer for Scope, a medical publication in New York City; and DAN WEINER, a Scope photographer.
The plane crashed at about 7:05 p.m., c.d.t., near the Mundy's Landing section on the farm of OSCAR LLEWILYN, about five miles off Ky. Highway 33. State police said the single engine Beechcraft Bonanza came down in a clearing, just over the crest of a hill, scattering wreckage for about 25 or 30 feet.
BANCROFT and WEINER were believed to have been in Lexington working on a story on LEET'S clinic. They had flown to Middlesboro earlier Monday with LEET and GROSS.
DR. LEET and his three passengers had been in Pineville Monday for a regular clinic which DR. LEET conducted there.
He also held a clinic once eash month at Middlesboro Memorial Hospital.
State police said that LEET left Middlesboro at 4 p.m. c.d.t. and was last heard from when he called Blue Grass Field at Lexington at 5:41 p.m. c. d. t. to say he was running low on fuel and would try to reach Louisville.
Authorities at the Lexington airport said that the ceiling was low and that LEET was unable to land there. They said he circled the field and then headed for Louisville.
Identification of the victims was hampered since they were burned almost beyond recognition. Papers and personal effects in the plane were also burned when it crashed.
The plane was identified as LEET'S from a serial number on the tail.

Middlesboro Daily News Kentucky 1959-01-27
__________________

Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!