Brighton, OH Airliner Crash, Dec 1931

DEATH TOLL IN PLANE CRASH MOUNTS TO 4.

THREE KILLED OUTRIGHT AND OTHER DIES OF INJURIES RECEIVED IN SMASHUP.

STATE LAUNCHES INQUIRY.

PILOT, OFF COURSE AND FLYING LOW, SAYS CRAFT FELL 300 FEET.

Springfield, O., Jan. 1 -- (AP) -- The death toll of the wreck of a Cleveland-Cincinnati passenger plane rose to four today with the death of W. D. WIEBACK, of Cincinnati, a salesman.
Three men were dead when they were pulled from the smashed ship, near here last night. The pilot remains critically injured.
The cause of the fall was investigated by Capt. Frank McKee, state director of aeronautics, who inspected the wreckage today.
The plane, a single motored craft, enroute from Cleveland to Louisville, was flying low when it went into a barrel roll, according to LEWIS L. BOWEN, of Louisville, the pilot and one of the injured. It plunged 300 feet to bury itself three feet in a muddy field.
The other dead:
A. L. WENNER of Cincinnati, an engineer.
LOUIS E. STONE, 24, of Cincinnati, personnel director of the Embry-Riddle division of the American Airways.
A. C. MAYER, JR., 38, of Louisville, merchandising manager of the General Electric Co. refrigerator division with headquarters at Cleveland.
The plane left Port Columbus at 6:35 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) and was due in Dayton at 7:25. It was reported overdue at Cincinnati at 8 p.m.
Residents of Brighton, near where the crash occurred, reported seeing the craft about 7:30 p.m. apparently in trouble.
Shortly afterward a crash was heard and residents began searching. Two boys located the wreckage nearly two hours later. The three dead apparently had been killed instantly.
The pilot said he had lost control of the plane while trying to regain altitude. He was slightly off his course and was flying low.

The Lima News Ohio 1932-01-01

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