“Second Plane Hits Trouble In Flight”
The Pittsburgh Press – July 8, 1949
NEW YORK, July 8 (UP) – The giant four-
Mon C. Walgren, former governor of Washington, was one of the passengers.
This was the second of the airline’s six new luxury peacetime models of the B-
The Stratocruiser “America” was forced to return 600 miles to Shannon, Ireland, yesterday when an engine caught fire. There were 63 aboard the “America,” including Movie Comedian Danny Kaye and other notables.
The “Seven Seas” developed a “rough” right-
It could not be determined at once if the “Seven Seas” engine trouble was the same as that which caused the engine of the “America” to catch fire yesterday, Pan American said.
First Group Safe
Comedian Kaye and 52 other of the passengers of the “America” including Paul V. McNutt, former U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, and Tennis Stars Louise Brough and Margaret Osborne duPont, arrived by Constellation at La Guardia Airport last night.
Kaye admitted that he was so scared when the stratocruiser caught fire that he couldn’t crack a joke. He denied London reports that he walked up and down the aisle of the limping airliner joking with the other passengers to lift their spirits.
Was ‘Plenty Scared’
“What’s the use of lying?” Kaye said. “I was scared like everybody else. I was in no mood for cracking jokes. I was plenty scared.”
Kaye was so glad to be back that he kissed the plane’s propeller. Then he suddenly jumped back, screaming: “Say, this thing won’t turn over will it?”
For more on this incident read this lengthy interview with Danny -