THE FLAGLER TRIBUNE
Bunnell, Florida
Thursday, October 29, 1953

 

Tom A. Blair, 55, piloting a Beechcraft plane for Cities Service Petroleum, Inc., dived head-first to earth on the Bill Burnsed farm Wednesday morning, burning both almost completely.

Pilot Blair was an employee of the petroleum firm and was en route from New York to Miami.

The craft was sighted by several residents of the Bimini area about 9:30 circling low, apparently lost, as the overcast was very heavy. Mr. Burnsed said he had observed the plane only a few minutes before he heard the explosion when the plane hit the ground about half a mile from his home. By the time one could reach the craft it was a mass of flames.

Sheriff T. K. McKnight was notified and he in turned called G. B. Kelly of the Florida Forest Service who took his fire fighting equipment to the scene and fought the fire. When persons could get near the plane the body was burned beyond recognition.

Enough of one wing was left to read the plane number, and Sheriff McKnight notified the CAA in Jacksonville who finally furnished the identification of plane and pilot. Two representatives of the CAA came down from Jacksonville and today a representative of the CAA investigation board is here.

The body was taken in charge by Garcia Funeral Home of St. Augustine. Mr. Blair is survived by his wife, Winifred and daughter of 5400 Fieldton Rd., Riverdale, N. Y.