George
Thanks
Commander Oscar William Erickson was previously the pilot in this incident
Popular Mechanics Feb 1930:
Two naval flyers, Chief Radio Electrician O E Williams and Commander O W Erickson, chief inspector at the naval aircraft factory, were dropping testing parachutes over Mustin field, near Philadelphia. "We had made 29 short flights" said Williams "when things began to happen. Approaching the field everything was functioning beautifully, and the fifty-ninth parachute was released. Less than four seconds later, one blade of the three-bladed metal propeller broke, causing excessive vibration of the whole plane, tearing down the power unit from the barriers and dropping it into the field, causing excessive vibration of the whole plane, tearing the power unit from the barriers and dropping it into the field burying itself under five feet of sod." A blinding flash of fire and smoke rose before them . A dull muffled noise sounded as though someone had tried to smother the motor and propeller with a heavy blanket."I first thought the plane had burst into flames, but only a moment elapsed before the condition cleared and the motor dropped out. The plane was thrown around ninety degrees to the right, and began to fall with the tail dangerously low. The adjustable stabilizer was all the way up, which increased our danger. At the time I jumped, Commdr Erickson was making every possible effort to get the stabilizer down. See ng that my weight on the tail jeopardized his efforts, and knowing the plane was starting to spin I yelled "I am going to jump!" Noting the position of brace wires and the tail, I engineered my exit by sliding down the side of the fuselage with my hands - the altitude at this moment was a good 600 feet. Dropping clear, I waited for a good safe margin of ship clearance, then pulled the parachute rip cord. I experienced no unusual jerk or sensaction. I landed on my heels in a field and gave way to a sitting position in order better to collapse the chute". Commdr Erickson's motto was "Don't give up the ship" After Williams had jumped, he managed to bring up the tail and piloted the motorless bomber to a safe landing "
O E Williams is Obed Everett Williams and the aircraft involved was Martin XT3M-4 A-7224 on July 16, 1929
Paul
I now find we have been here before - Many Apologises I must have missed updating my file at the time - But at least the account above in Popular Mechanics is new info
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...s=1&styleid=13
See also
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...erett-williams