The Wingfoot Air Express was a dirigible that crashed into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in Chicago on Monday July 21, 1919. The Type FD dirigible, owned by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company was transporting people from Grant Park to the White City amusement park.[1] One crew member, two passengers, and ten bank employees were killed in what was, up to that point, the worst dirigible disaster in United States history.
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The craft caught fire at about 4:55pm while cruising at an altitude of 1,200 ft (370 m) over the Chicago Loop.[2] When it became clear the dirigible was lost, the pilot, Jack Boettner, and chief mechanic, Harry Wacker, used parachutes to jump to safety.[3] A second mechanic, Henry Weaver, died when his parachute caught fire. Another passenger, Earl H. Davenport, a publicity agent for the White City Amusement Park, remained on board the Wingfoot and died when the airship crashed. A fifth person, Chicago Daily News photographer Milton Norton, who parachuted from the dirigible broke both legs and later died at a hospital.[4]
At the Illinois Trust & Savings Bank building at the northeast corner of LaSalle Street and Jackson Boulevard, 150 employees were closing up after the day's business in and around the main banking hall, which was illuminated by a large skylight. The remains of the Wingfoot struck the bank's skylight directly and flaming debris fell through to the banking hall below. The result was ten employees killed, and 27 banking staff were reported injured.
In addition to causing the city of Chicago to adopt a new set of rules for aviation over the city, the crash led to the closing of the Grant Park Airstrip and the creation of Chicago Air Park.
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