Account of crash that killed Charles M. Rudd
(C. Avis Catalog entry #701)
(Document ID #1)

From an unknown newspaper of unknown date

TREE UNSEEN SAYS RUDD'S AIR COMRADE

Private Salcido Says Airman Thought Field was Clear for Landing

Officers Here From Sacramento to Make Investigation of Accident

    "We thought we were landing on a clear field and did not see the tree," Private Antonio Salcido, who was injured in the aeroplane accident in which Lieut. Charles M. Rudd met his death near Linden Wednesday evening, said yesterday when seen at the Dameron hospital. "We were anxious to get to Mather Field and did not want to stop for the night unless we were forced to. We circled over Stockton several times and failed to find a place to light. We didn't see any aviation field. We sailed around and finally discovered the field which had been burned off and parts of which were still on fire. He (Lieut. Rudd) did not say anything, but he evidently decided to try landing on the black field.  I did not see the tree and did not know what happened until they told me later."
    Salcido said that the pilot of the ship lost his way and that while they knew Stockton was not Sacramento they had hopes of getting their bearings and getting into Mather Field before night. However, they did not get located, and after circling over Stockton many times before the fatal smash, sailed toward the flaming field. It was while Lieut. Rudd was intent on watching the ground to insure a good landing that the oak was struck. 

Officers Investigate.

    Seven officers from Mather Field arrived in Stockton yesterday morning and after visiting the morgue and Salcido at Dameron's hospital, went to the scene of the accident and arranged for salvaging. The great ship, a De Haviland 4 biplane, is a complete wreck. The machine was a duplicate of that one used by Lieut. Batten when he flew over Stockton on Armistice Day and thrilled thousands.
    The officers are confident that Aviator Rudd was lost. Among the members of the board of inquiry which was sent to Stockton were: Captain J. J. Francis, medical officer; Lieutenant James Krull, the first aviator to make the flight into Yosemite valley by airplane; Lieut. Gowans and Lieut. C. H. Ridenour. 

Intended to Reach Mather FieId.

    According to some of the officers who had a long talk with Salcido at noon yesterday, Lieut. Rudd left San Francisco at 4:15 Wednesday afternoon with the intention of sailing directly to Mather Field.  Salcido was simply a passenger returning from duty in San Francisco to Mather Field. Lieut. Rudd, whose home was in Temple, Texas, where a mother, Mrs. James Rudd, survives  him had been sent to San Fransisco to act as a judge in the aeroplane races held there Armistice Day and was returning to Sacramento.
    It seems that at about dusk a landing was attempted at a little town along the Sacramento river, but on descending Lieut. Rudd saw a number of fences and decided not to attempt it. The two flyers went up again and headed for what they thought was Sacramento. They came to the lights of Stockton and Salcido  says that they flew over this city for about 15 minutes before seeing the grain fire east of town in the field in which they attempted to land and where the fatal crash came.

Salcido Not Badly Hurt.

    According to Dr. Dameron and Captain Francis, Salcido is not seriously injured and will be removed to the hospital at Mather Field today. He has a badly bruised nose and/several cuts and bruises about the legs. He is almost over the shock of the accident and will he entirely recovered in about a week. 

Friend  of Attorney  Parkinson.

    Attorney Oscar C. Parkinson, formerly in the air service, knew Lieut. Rudd intimately.
    "Rudd, Lieut. Ruby and I were in the same tent at Mather Field, and all  three  of  us  got   our   commissions at the same time."  Parkinson said yesterday morning. "That was during October of last year. Ruby and Rudd were transferred to Rockwell Field, San Diego. Ruby was afterwards killed in a fall. Now Rudd is gone. Of the three of us, I am the only one left. Rudd was a good flyer. There can be no question that he was lost. After dark it is impossible to see trees while descending from above."

Plane Completely Wrecked

    As far aa can be learned it was about 7 o'clock when the De Haviland crashed into the tree near Linden. The wings of the plane completely enwrapped the tree and the motor, which was torn loose from the fuselage by the force of the impact at high speed, was thrown a distance of 100 feet.
    Lieutenant Rudd was found on the ground and lived about 30 minutes, Salcido was still in the machine. The seat which Rudd was occupying was twisted completely out of the fuselage and the machine was but a tangled mass of splinters.
    Farmers state that there was a fire in the field near where the crash occurred and that the plane circled the field three or four times before a landing was attempted. Soon after the crash was heard, Dr. W. R. Buckley brought Private Salcido to the Dameron hospital.