Lightning Mystery

Many an unexplained crash of aircraft in stormy weather has called forth the theory that the plane was struck by lightning. Last week the possibility was offered again. An old Lockheed monoplane, carrying four Kansas City businessmen and a transport pilot home from a fishing trip, took off from Aransas Pass, Tex., climbed 4,000 ft., disappeared in a big black cloud. A moment later watchers saw the ship hurtle out of the cloud, its wing trailing like a broken limb. The hull crashed to earth, disintegrating as it fell. All occupants were killed. There was no explosion, no fire. Airport officials doubted lightning was the cause, believed the pilot, trying to right the plane as it dove from the cloud, pulled back too sharply on the control stick.

Airmen are reluctant to credit the lightning theory in general because evidence, in virtually all cases, is lacking. The Department of Commerce has no cases on record where it was definitely established that a plane was struck by lightning. Extensive ground tests with artificial lightning conducted by Ohio Insulator Co. upon a Barling NB3 monoplane produced no material damage, but did give rise to a belief that the psychological (also blinding, deafening) effect of a lightning flash close at hand may incapacitate a pilot long enough for disaster to occur.

Lighter-than-air craft have frequently been downed by lightning--memorably in the National Balloon Races of 1928 when three bags were fired by bolts. Dirigibles with metal framework are less subject to the hazard, although one Zeppelin was wrecked by lightning over the North Sea during the War.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.