By Marjory J. Sente

When William “Tertius” A. Clark III, grandson of former U.S. Senator and mining magnate William A. Clark and principal heir to the United Verde Mine, moved to Clarkdale in 1931 to lead the United Verde Copper Company, he had lofty goals. One was to establish the Verde Valley Air Lines, Inc. and seek a franchise to operate a mail and passenger service route between Douglas and Las Vegas. Another was to learn to “fly blind”.

Blind flying involved using instruments to guide a flight, usually because the pilot couldn’t see outside the cockpit due to poor weather conditions. To learn, a covering was sometimes put over the windshield of the cockpit.

Clark was born in Montana on December 1, 1902. After graduating with honors with a degree in mining engineering from Columbia University in New York, he worked for his father first in Montana and then in Arizona. Prior to moving to Clarkdale, he operated the Cord and Auburn automobile agency in Phoenix. He was also an officer in the Pilot-Ray Lamp Corporation that produced patented automobile lights.

Clark and Harold “Jack” Lynch met in Montana, where Lynch was well known as a pilot and aviation instructor. After buying an airplane in 1928, Clark engaged Lynch as his pilot and instructor.

With nearly two decades of flying experience, licensed master pilot Lynch gave Charles A. Lindbergh his early flying lessons, as well as instructing more than 200 other students. He was a barnstorming copilot of Lindbergh’s. Prior to joining Clark in Arizona, Lynch lived in Los Angeles, instructing transport pilots in blind flying. Lynch held the world record of 221 hours of flying by instrument when he died with Clark in a plane crash on May 15, 1932.

On the fateful Sunday afternoon, pilot Clark and safety-pilot Lynch took off around 2 PM from the recently dedicated Clemenceau (now Cottonwood) Airport in a two-seat, open-cockpit biplane for Clark’s lesson in blind flying. As was the custom, Clark’s cockpit was covered with a hood so he couldn’t see out. In addition, he was to have the plane go into a tailspin and use only instruments to pull out of it.

Golfers on the Verde Country Club golf links witnessed Clark’s first tailspin attempt in which he righted perfectly; his second attempt did not go as well. The plane plunged to the ground with both men aboard. Although wearing parachutes, they either couldn't or didn't attempt to jump.

Landing nose first on the Windmill Ranch property about two miles from Cottonwood, the plane didn’t burn. The men were killed on impact as the plane’s motor was pushed back into the cockpits. After the wreckage was located by air, volunteers drove and finally walked to the site to retrieve Clark’s and Lynch’s bodies. Following a coroner’s inquest, the men were wrapped in their parachutes and carried out on the plane’s wings.

The bodies were taken to Ash Fork and put on the westbound train to Los Angeles. Each man left behind a widow. Clark was also survived by a stepson and stepdaughter.
Lynch was survived by two daughters and a son.

Clark was laid to rest at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in the Garden of Legends, in his family’s mausoleum in the middle of a lake. Lynch was buried in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, as well.

A scientific investigation proved that the accident was due to defective materials used in the bank and turn indicator instrument in the airplane’s rear cockpit, according to a report released by the Verde Valley Airlines.

Yavapai County and the aviation industry lost two innovative aviators in one crash because of defective parts, not human error.

Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1 The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org Please contact SHM Research Center reference desk at 928-277-2003, or via email at archivesrequest@sharlothallmuseum.org for information or assistance with photo requests.