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 AT MARION, INDIANA, ON MAY 5, 1936

To the Secretary of Commerce

On May 5, 1936, at approximately 11.00 a.m., at Marion, Indiana, a privately owned airplane was involved in an accident with resultant death to the pilot and passenger and major damage to the aircraft.

The airplane, an Aoronca Model C-3, bore Federal license number NC-16252. The pilot, Samuel E. Marquis, held a Federal private pilot’s license, and the passenger, Miss Margaret Connors, held a Federal student pilot's license.

This airplane had just been purchased new from the factory, and it is thought that the passenger, Miss Connors, being very anxious to fly it, made arrangements with Mr. Marquis, the airport manager, to take her up. According to the statement of one witness, Marquis while making an approach to the field for a landing attempted to lose altitude by slipping the airplane with its nose slightly elevated. In this manner the aircraft was allowed to lose flying speed at an altitude of about 50 feet with the result that it foil out of control, striking the ground nose first.

It was stated by two transport pilots at the field that they had seen Pilot Marquis on previous occasions employ a stall approach in coming in for a landing, recovering either by use of the throttle or by nosing down just enough to prevent entire loss of control. There was nothing on this occasion which would indicate any structural failure of the airplane.

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

Respectfully submitted,

Eugene L. Vidal

Director of Air Commerce