THE ACCIDENT - MARCH 14, 1942
About 10:15 P.M., Emil Silvan “Scotty” Scott was killed in the crash of China National Aviation Corporation’s (CNAC’s) last DC-2, shortly after take-off, about 2 km from the Kunming Airdrome on a flight to Chungking. This crash was reported in the New York Times, March 16, 1942. A short paragraph about the accident is in William Leary’s book, The Dragon’s Wings. Some personal details can be found in Olga Greenlaw’s book, The Lady And The Tigers. On March 16, 1942, Emil was buried in the Chinese Cemetery for Military Aviators, 8 km east of Kunming on the Kweiyang road. Chaplain Paul Frillmann officiated. Claire Chennault was in attendance along with Flying Tiger Charlie Bond. Olga S. Greenlaw also attended. In a letter to Georgi Scott, 17 March 1949, Claire Chennault said that, "Scotty was buried in a very beautiful spot on a western slope of a hill overlooking Kunming Lake." All three crew members and ten passengers died in the crash. Four passengers survived. Tom C. Gentry, M.D., Chief Surgeon, FAVG, identified Emil’s remains.
1. Certificate signed by T.C. Gentry, M.D., Chief Surgeon, FAVG, says
"engine trouble".
2. C.L. Sharp to Mr. Bixby in NY - Overloading with contributing factors
were inexperience of the pilots in coping with the overloaded plane and a
soft wet field.
3. Royal Leonard to Dr. and Mrs. H.H. Kung - A bright light at the radio
operator’s seat may have temporarily blinded both pilots.
4. Unnamed source - sabotage.
5. Unnamed source - shot down. Very unlikely.
1. Emil Silvan "Scotty" Scott - co-pilot/pilot.
2. William H. Schuler - pilot. Home - 3301 Liberty Avenue, North Bergen,
New Jersey, formally of Weehawken, New Jersey. Married 7 years to Margaret,
who was a teacher in Union City.
3. T. Z. Woo, radio operator.
1. Major General Lancelot Dennys, chief of the British military mission to
China. Mrs. Dennys was in Chungking at the time of the crash.
2. Lieutenant Colonel Frederick L. Kohler of the American military mission.
A native of Oakland, California, Col. Kohler was born in 1918. Son of Mr.
and Mrs. Henry L. Kohler, 1321 Holman Road, Oakland, California.
3. Dr. Fenimore B. Lynch, financial advisor to the Central Bank of China
and long time resident of China. An American who lived in Chungking.
4. Lieutenant Colonel Otto C. George of the United States Military Mission.
Home - Hiawatha, Kansas. Wife and two children were in Oklahoma, City,
Oklahoma.
5. James Percy Russell, a King’s messenger.
6. D. Rocksen,
7. Mrs. Cecil Lowe and
8. her 5-year-old son.
9. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
10. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
1. Colonel Harvey Edwards of President Roosevelt’s special mission, headed
by Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stillwell.
2. P. C. Fogarty, former British commissioner for the Shan States of
Northern Burma and recently appointed representative of the Burmese
Government in China.
3. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
4. Unidentified Chinese passenger.
Addition information can be obtained from:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/5617