For Immediate Use    July 10, 1936

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

BUREAU OF AIR COMMERCE

Washington

STATEMENT OF PROBABLE CAUSE CONCERNING AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED TO A PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPLANE NEAR GEORGETOWN, TEXAS ON APRIL 18, 1936

To the Secretary of Commerce

On April 18, 1936, at approximately 6.20 p.m., at a point one mile east of Georgetown, Texas, a privately owned airplane crashed with resultant death to the pilot and passenger and the complete destruction of the aircraft.

The airplane, a Taylor Cub, model E-2, bore Federal license number NC-15633. The pilot, Jefferson Davis Parish, Jr., was unlicensed. The passenger, Guy N. Bryan, Jr., held a Federal student pilot’s license.

During the afternoon of April 18th, as part of the Texas Centennial celebration, a parachute jump was scheduled as the closing feature of the day. At the airport it was generally understood that no aircraft other than the one carrying the juniper was to take off or be in the air during this event.

Shortly after the airplane carrying the parachute jumper took off, Mr. Parish and Mr. Bryan were seen to get into the Taylor Cub, take off and climb to an altitude of about 800 feet. Although no witness could be found who actually saw the airplane start into a spin, there was at least one witness who saw it after it had entered the spin. He stated that he watched it from about 400 feet to very near the ground and that it was spinning to the left. Inspection of the wreckage indicated this fact. There was no indication of structural or engine failure Dual controls were in the airplane and were connected and it was not possible to determine who was actually in control of the aircraft.

It is the opinion of the Bureau of Air Commerce that the probable cause of this accident was failure to maintain proper control of the aircraft due to inexperience of the pilot.

Respectfully submitted,

Eugene L. Vidal

Director of Air Commerce