In 1947, three accidents involved the Gratz Airport, Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Two of the accidents were fatal. The first occurred in April 1947 and involved a young man who had just qualified for his private pilot’s license. On his first solo flight out of the Gratz Airport, he was killed.
Area newspapers reported on the crash. From the Pottsville Republican, 21 April 1947:
YOUTH KILLED IN PLANE CRASH
Crashes in Yard of Home As Parents Look On
Forty-five minutes after he had received his license as a private pilot, Glenn O. Leitzel, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Leitzel, of Hebe, near Pillow, met death when his plane crashed into the backyard of his home in full view of his horrified parents.
The accident happened Saturday afternoon at 12:30. First to reach the scene was the young man’s father. The young flier, a veteran of World War II, was dead of a broken neck and internal injuries when removed from the ship by his father.
Leitzel, flying a Taylorcraft airplane out of Bressler’s airport at Gratz, was a student pilot at that airport under the G.I. Bill of Rights, and Saturday morning at 11:45 o’clock he passed his flying test for a private pilot license under examiner Lyle M. Bressler, manager of the airport. Following his examination he rented a plane from the airport and took off to fly over his home town when the accident occurred. The direct cause of the accident was not determined, but several witnesses stated that he was flying low at the time.
Leitzel had approximately 45 hours of flying time.
State inspectors from Harrisburg and members of the Shamokin State Police arrived shortly after the accident and conducted an investigation. The plane, wrecked beyond repair, was hauled on a truck back to Bressler’s Airport.
The body was removed to Reed’s Funeral Home at Pillow to be prepared for burial.
The funeral will be held Tuesday afternoon. To survive besides his parents are two brothers, Leon Leitzel, at Klingerstown, and Roy Leitzel, at home, both licensed pilots; four sisters, Gladys Leitzel, Irene Leitzel, Roxie Leitzel, at home, and Marlene Leitzel, wife of Rev. Booner of Ohio.
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News article from Newspapers.com.
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