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Harry Brooks.. Airplane crash in ocean... Attending doctor to Jesse James...
Harry Brooks.. Airplane crash in ocean... Attending doctor to Jesse James...
Item # 583182
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February 26, 1928
THE OMAHA BEE-NEWS, Omaha, Nebraska, February 26, 1928
* Aviator Harry Brooks
* Ford Flivver airplane
* Detroit to Miami flight disaster
* Attending doctor to Jesse James
This 30+ page newspaper has a nice banner headline on the front page: "FLIVVER PLANE, PILOT LOST IN SEA" with subheads.
Another small article on the front page is "Doctor Who Attended Jesse James Is Dead". Dr. George Overholdt was the doctor who administered first aid to members of the Jesse James-Younger gang when they were captured and he was also a member of the posse.
Other news, sports and advertisements of the day. Light browning, minor margin wear, otherwise nice.
wikipedia notes: Ford's chief test pilot was Harry J. Brooks. Brooks flew the Flivver regularly from his home garage to work. He once flew the aircraft in a race against Gar Wood in Miss America V on the Detroit River during the Harmsworth Trophy Races.
Charles Lindbergh flew the Flivver on a visit to Ford field August 11, 1927, and was the only other pilot to fly the Flivver prototype. He later described the Flivver as, "one of the worst aircraft he ever flew".
A third prototype, tail number 3218, was built to win a long distance record for light planes in 440 to 880 lb (200 to 400 kg) "C" class.[clarification needed] The race was set from Ford Field in Dearborn Michigan to Miami, Florida. A first attempt in 1928, witnessed by Henry Ford, landed short in Asheville, North Carolina. A second attempt, witnessed by Edsel Ford, landed 200 mi (320 km) short in Titusville, Florida, but still won a record.
Flying the second prototype from a winning record attempt four days earlier on February 21, 1928, Brooks crashed into the ocean off Melbourne, Florida. Investigation of the wreckage disclosed a matchstick had been plugged into the gas cap vent hole, causing an engine stoppage.
Following the death of Brooks, Henry Ford was distraught, and light airplane development was stopped under the Ford brand.
Category: The 20th Century
No Longer Available
