1933 – June 11, Chicago Exposition Sightseeing Plane Crash/Fire near Glenview IL  —  all 9

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 12-28-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10  Bismarck Tribune, ND. “Principal Events of Year Throughout World…, Dec 28, 1933, p.3.

—  9  Aviation Safety Network. Sikorsky C-38B crash Glenview IL, 11 June 1933.

—  9  Circleville Herald, OH. “Damaged Wing Blamed for Fatal ‘Fair” Airplane Crash,” 6/12/33.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. Database 1933:

“Date:                          Sunday 11 June 1933

“Time:                         Afternoon

“Type:                         Sikorsky S-38B

“Owner/operator:        A. L. Caperton

“Registration:              NC141M

“MSN:                         214-12

“Fatalities:                   9 / Occupants: 9

“Other fatalities:         0

….

“Location:                   Glenview, IL – USA

“Phase:                        Landing

“Nature:                      Passenger – Non-Scheduled…

“Departure airport:      Chicago-Palwaukee Airport, Illinois

“Destination airport:   Chicago-Palwaukee Airport, Illinois

….

“Narrative: Plunged from 150ft to the ground and burst into flames after aborted harbor landing completing a local sightseeing tour. Eyewitnesses saw a wing crumple before the crash.”

Newspaper

June 12: “Chicago, June 12 – Investigators today blamed a damaged wing for the crash of a world’s fair sight-seeing plane which fell to earth near Glenview and burst into flames, burning to death seven passengers and two of the crew. Reconstructing the tragedy, Coroner Frank Walsh said the giant Sikorsky amphibian apparently had been damaged structurally when Carl Vickery, world war aviator and pilot, made an unsuccessful attempt to bring the plane down on the choppy waters at the world’s fair ramp in Lake Michigan.  So badly were the occupants burned that identification of the dead was extremely difficult.  No register of the passengers was taken before the flight….

“A sudden squall had whipped up choppy waves on the lake while the plane was aloft with its passengers on a 30 minute flight.  When the plane ‘porpoised’ on the water for a landing witnesses saw the right pontoon crumple.  Taking the plane into the air, Vickery headed for the Pal-Waukee land airport rather than risk damaging the ship further.  Near Glenview hundreds of motorists saw the right wing snap away at an altitude of 600 feet.  Down the big plane came in a spin.  Burying its nose in the ground the amphibian caught fire.  A terrific explosion followed which sent the flames 100 feet in the air.

“The blazing mass prevented rescuers from reaching the twisted ship for an hour. When fire fighters had extinguished the flames the passengers were found to have died in one another’s arms.  In the control cabin were the bodies of Vickery and his mechanic.  “It was horrible,” said J. G. Mayer, one of the first to reach the plane. “We could see the arms and legs of people moving inside the cabin.  We tried to smash an opening, but the burning gasoline drove us away. If any of the people cried out, their voices were drowned out by the roar of the flames.”

“Herman Robinson of New York City definitely identified the body of his son, who had been  brought to the world’s fair as a reward for his scholastic work at Culver military academy.”  (Circleville Herald, OH.  “Damaged Wing Blamed for Fatal ‘Fair” Airplane Crash,” 6-12-1933.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. Database 1933. Sikorsky C-38B crash Glenview IL, 11 June 1933. Accessed 12-28-2024 at: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/26012

Bismarck Tribune, ND. “Principal Events of Year Throughout World…,” Dec 28, 1933, 3.  Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=4616445

Circleville Herald, OH. “Damaged Wing Blamed for Fatal ‘Fair” Airplane Crash,” 6/12/1933, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=105416891