![]() Finally, crash investigators focused on deterioration of the wooden wing spar, finding evidence of delamination and failed joints. Department of Commerce issued conflicting statements about a possible cause. In the ensuing days, the Aeronautics Branch of the U.S. The crash site had been unsecured for hours and became a haven for souvenir collectors. ![]() The public was outraged and wanted answers that weren’t immediately forthcoming. Newspaper headlines nationwide screamed, “Rockne Killed in Air Crash.” For the first time, an airline accident claimed the life of a prominent American. The failure of instruments due to icing compounded the danger.Ĭourtesy of Knute Rockne Memorial Society They were being squeezed between the ground and the clouds. Once the crests disappeared, the Fokker would be trapped and the option of climbing to at least temporary safety forfeited, since to do so would involve a good probability of crashing into the hidden higher ground. A deadly situation was developing the clouds were almost touching the hilltops. The pilots responded: “It’s getting tighter … It looks pretty bad.” The flight had drifted off course, requiring navigation via the “Old Iron Compass” - the railroad track 300 feet below. We’re going to turn around and go back to Kansas City.” But the Wichita station encouraged the flight to continue as planned. An hour into the flight, its pilots radioed Wichita that “the weather here is getting tough. ![]() Off it went anyway, but to reach its first stop at Wichita, Flight 5 would have to penetrate a sharp cold front - and thick clouds, fog, ice and low ceilings. The Fokker F-10A had been inspected a few days earlier by a TWA mechanic who later noted that “the (plywood) wing panels were all loose… and it would take them days to fix it, and I said the airplane wasn’t fit to fly and I wouldn’t sign the log. On the morning of March 31, Rockne and seven other men flew out of the Kansas City Municipal Airport aboard Transcontinental & Western Airlines flight 5. However, it still found a place in early commercial aviation. Navy tested the F-10A, found it unstable and rejected it. When Fokker set up shop in the United States, his F-10 tri-motor plane drew the attention of government officials they were concerned about not being able to inspect the internal structure of the wings because it would involve removing the plywood covering and damaging the craft. Flaws in both design and workmanship were traced to Fokker’s apparent insistence on using the cheapest materials and methods. ![]() But reluctance to invest in research and development led to his struggles with quality control throughout his career. Meanwhile, in Europe, Anthony Fokker had become one of the best-known names in early aviation, rising to prominence as a builder of biplanes used extensively by Germany in the Great War. And already, there was significant tension between the federal government’s dual roles - promoting air travel and ensuring its safety. Aviation pioneers and stunt pilots straddled the line between testing the limits of the new technology … and death. Rockne knew that the rapid development of air travel in the 1920s had been fraught with danger and conflict. On the evening of March 30, he stopped at his mother’s place in Logan Square to help celebrate her birthday, then boarded a night train for Kansas City. Rockne would represent Chicago’s Wilson Sporting Goods at a store opening and meet with some Studebaker dealers. There were speaking engagements, including a joint appearance with his great friend Will Rogers. He was going to meet with film studios about a proposed picture celebrating Notre Dame football. In late March, Rockne was headed out to Los Angeles with a multi-purpose schedule. Legendary Notre Dame University football coach Knute Rockne
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