Mildred Kauffman d. 1932

KAUFFMAN, SHAW

Posted By: A.M.W. (email)
Date: 3/4/2007 at 20:51:37

8/11/1932 - Wayland News

Mildred Kauffman Killed in Plane Crash Sunday

Miss Kauffman was the niece of Mr. And Mrs. William Kauffman southeast of Wayland

The following article taken from the KC Times describes the tragic death of Mildred Kauffman whose mother is a sister to Mrs. William Kauffman of Wayland. Miss Kauffman has often visited here and many who learned to know her will be interested in the account of her death *(Message from the Editor)

Miss Mildred Kauffman, nationally known KC aviatrix was injured fatally early last night when the ship she was piloting and another plane locked wings at top speed and fell at Fairfax Airport. The planes were about 75 feet in the air. Miss Kauffman died at 1:30 this morning in Providence Hospital. The other aviator, Don Moss, was not injured. A passenger in each plane suffered minor injuries. The accident occurred at 7:00 before a large Sunday crowd at the north end of the field about 1/3 of a mile from the administration building. Moss piloting a plane owned by W. H. Ellis had taken off a few moments before and was flying north at top speed when Miss Kauffman flew in from the east. Apparently Miss Kauffman saw the other plane too late. She turned her ship up and to the right in a futile effort to avoid a collision . The left wing and forepart of her plane, a monoplane, ripped into the right wings and foreport of Moss’ biplane. The impact drove both planes sidewise before they fell to the ground locked together. Miss Kauffman and her passenger were lifted from the wreckage of the monoplane. The passenger, Russell Shaw, 3018 Forrest Avenue, suffered only cuts and bruises. Both were taken to Providence Hospital in KC KS. Miss Kauffman suffered a fractured skull and other injuries. Miss Kauffman, who was a licensed transport pilot, established a world’s record for women in St. Louis February 21 1930 when she looped the loop 46 times. She had climbed to 8000 feet and later reported that she made a total of 57 loops before landing. Officials lost her in ther haze at 1500 feet and credited her officially with only 46. She had participated in many air races. According to officials at Fairfax, Benjamin Howard was constructing a special ship for her in which she intended to participate in the national air races at Cleveland beginning August 25th.

Miss Kauffman was injured slightly in the spring of 1930 when she was forced to make a parachute jump from an altitude of 3200 feet in Buffalo NY. She was attempting to break her own record for looping the loop when she lost control of her ship. The jump earned her membership in the Caterpillar Club, the organization of airplane pilots who have been forced to leap from their planes to save their lives.

The Kauffman home is at 3130 Jefferson Street; however, Miss Kauffman had been living with her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Josiah Kauffman, at 1327 Locust Street where the family is living temporarily while looking after some property interests. Miss Kauffman was 25 years old.

Shaw is 26 years old. He is employed by the Nisley shoe company. He holds a private pilot’s license. Moss is employed at Fairfax airport.