Grinnell, March 13.--W. C. (Billly) Robinson, one of the foremost American aviators and head of the Grinnell aero school, was killed instantly at 4:30 Saturday afternoon when his biplane, in which he was trying for an altitude record, plunged to the ground from a height of 16,700 feet. As the machine struck the ground the gasoline tank exploded and the resultant fire destroyed the plane and burned the aviator's body almost beyond recognition. The accident occurred near Ewart, ten miles from this city. |
Contributed by Mary Lou Ivereson, 1-10-12 In reading through some of my notes today, I ran across this interview with Kenneth Haworth, former farm resident near Ewart. I wrote a paper for my high school English class in 1962. I thought you may be interested in it: It was just west of the schoolhouse on the Kenneth Haworth farm that an airplane crashed in 1916. Eccentric Billy Robinson lived in Grinnell. Kenneth Haworth’s brother who was attending Iowa College (now Grinnell College) and father went to see Billy. While they were there, Billy was in a good mood and decided to show them his airplane, which everyone in surrounding communities knew he had. It was unusual to own an airplane! However, few people really got to see the airplane up close. For some reason, Billy had constructed a large wall around it. Everyone who had an airplane was trying to set new altitude records. A few days after Kenneth Haworth’s brother and father had seen the plane in 1916, Billy took the little craft for a flight. He rose to an altitude of 14,000 feet, but he blacked out because of an insufficient supply of oxygen. Fortunately, he recovered consciousness before anything serious happened. The following day he took the airplane up to an even higher altitude, and again – so it is thought—he lost consciousness. He was not so lucky this time. His plane crashed on the farm where Kenneth Haworth now lives. One could find debris for quite a large radius. The cushion on the plane was found on the porch of the house where the author now resides. For much more of the story, click on the title. |
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Contributed by Mary Lou Ivereson, 1-3-12 |
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Contributed by Mary Lou Ivereson, 1-3-12 |
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