Roscommon - Roscommon
Flight / Schedule
Roscommon - Roscommon
Aircraft
Lockheed 8 Sirius/AltairRegistration
NC12W
MSN
142
Year of Manufacture
1930
Operator
Lockheed Aircraft CorporationDate
April 25, 1930 at 12:00 AM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Demonstration
Flight Phase
Takeoff (climb)
Crash Site
Plain, Valley
Crash Location
Roscommon Michigan
Region
North America • United States of America
Coordinates
44.3327°, -84.6165°
Crash Cause
Other causes
Narrative Report
On April 25, 1930 at 12:00 AM, Roscommon - Roscommon experienced a crash involving Lockheed 8 Sirius/Altair, operated by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, with the event recorded near Roscommon Michigan.
The flight was categorized as demonstration and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a plain, valley crash site.
2 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 50.0%.
Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is other causes. The pilot Herbert J. 'Hub' Fahy and his wife Claire flew a new Sirius to a small grass strip in Roscommon, Michigan, where they were to demonstrate the plane to a potential buyer, Cliff Durant, son of William Durant, founder of General Motors. The Fahys acted as sales agents for Lockheed and the deal was Durant agreed to buy the plane if Fahy could prove that the Sirius could land and takeoff safely from Durant’s personal strip. Herb and Claire got the plane on the ground without incident, but as they took off, one of the wheels of the Sirius hit a partially hidden stump, which flipped the plane over. According to reports in the Herald Tribune for April 26 and 28, 1930, Fahy suffered a fractured skull and a severe concussion while Claire survived uninjured. Rescuers had to cut away part of the plane's structure to extricate the fliers. Fahy was rushed to a local hospital where he died early on Sunday morning, April 27, 1930 without regaining consciousness. He was 33 years old.
Aircraft reference details include registration NC12W, MSN 142, year of manufacture 1930.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 44.3327°, -84.6165°.
Fatalities
Total
1
Crew
1
Passengers
0
Other
0
Crash Summary
The pilot Herbert J. 'Hub' Fahy and his wife Claire flew a new Sirius to a small grass strip in Roscommon, Michigan, where they were to demonstrate the plane to a potential buyer, Cliff Durant, son of William Durant, founder of General Motors. The Fahys acted as sales agents for Lockheed and the deal was Durant agreed to buy the plane if Fahy could prove that the Sirius could land and takeoff safely from Durant’s personal strip. Herb and Claire got the plane on the ground without incident, but as they took off, one of the wheels of the Sirius hit a partially hidden stump, which flipped the plane over. According to reports in the Herald Tribune for April 26 and 28, 1930, Fahy suffered a fractured skull and a severe concussion while Claire survived uninjured. Rescuers had to cut away part of the plane's structure to extricate the fliers. Fahy was rushed to a local hospital where he died early on Sunday morning, April 27, 1930 without regaining consciousness. He was 33 years old.
Cause: Other causes
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
1
Passengers On Board
1
Estimated Survivors
1
Fatality Rate
50.0%
Known people on board: 2
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Roscommon - Roscommon
Operator
Lockheed Aircraft CorporationFlight Type
Demonstration
Flight Phase
Takeoff (climb)
Crash Site
Plain, Valley
Region / Country
North America • United States of America
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
United States Signal Corps - USSC
De Havilland DH.4
The single engine airplane departed Dayton-McCook Field for a local test flight. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft stalled and crashed, killing both occupants. Crew: Maj Oscar Brindley, Lt Col Henry Damm.
United States Signal Corps - USSC
De Havilland DH.4
Lt. Frank Stuart Patterson, son and nephew of the co-founders of National Cash Register, is killed in the crash of his DH.4M, AS-32098, at Wilbur Wright Field during a flight test of a new mechanism for synchronizing machine gun and propeller, when a tie rod breaks during a dive from 15,000 feet (4,600 m), causing the wings to separate from the aircraft. Wishing to recognize the contributions of the Patterson family (owners of NCR) the area of Wright Field east of Huffman Dam (including Wilbur Wright Field, Fairfield Air Depot, and the Huffman Prairie) is renamed Patterson Field on 6 July 1931, in honor of Lt. Patterson.
United States Signal Corps - USSC
De Havilland DH.4
The aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances.
United States Signal Corps - USSC
De Havilland DH.4
The crew was completing a training mission. At an altitude of about 4,000 feet, the aircraft entered a spin and crashed in an open field near Everman-Barron Field Airport. A crew was killed and the second occupants was injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
U.S. Air Mail Service
De Havilland DH.4
Crashed following an engine failure. Pilot fate unknown.
United States Signal Corps - USSC
De Havilland DH.4
The accident occurred in unknown circumstances.
