franciscosarabia

Granville R-6C Gee Bee Racer (XB-AKM) MSN 1 Crashed the 7th June 1939 in te Potomac River during is initial climb. A pioneer of commercial aviation in Mexico and a famous pilot, Francisco Sarabia Tinoco was returning to Mexico City after setting a record flight time of 10 hours, 43 minutes for a flight between that city and New York City. Just after take off from Bolling Field the Gee Bee Racer, named ' Conquistador del Cielo ', crashed in the Potomac River. His plane had gained about 100 feet of altitude when the engine failed, and the plane dumped into the Potomac River. Sarabia drowned. Reportedly an investigation showed that a mechanic had left a wipe rag inside the engine compartment and the rag had been sucked into the carburetor. aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=106665

This is a very odd photo
As far as I am aware M-SCOM was never painted this way.
Stig

This is a photo of the recovery of the body of Mexican aviator Francisco Sarabia from the wreckage of the Gee Bee R-6H (XB-AXM, formerly NX14307), he named "El Conquistador del Cielo," after he and the aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, on June 7, 1939. The recovered aircraft was eventually restored and is currently placed on display at the Museo Francisco Sarabia, in Ciudad Lerdo, Mexico.

See:
www.findagrave.com/memorial/30682768/francisco-sarabia_ti...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Gee_Bee_R-6
www.aviationmuseum.eu/Blogvorm/museo-francisco-sarabia/

Thanks
Yes I am familliar with that accident.
Perhaps the main photo text should be in line with the tags to the right??
Stig

Thank you for this I've added it to the plane's wikipedia page

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_Gee_Bee_R-6#1939_Return_f...

This is my dad, George Stratton Armistead, with his BeeGee, that he flew in the 1936 Bendix Air race! I'm so proud! He died at home, in Pacific Palisades, Ca. in 1955. My sister Judy Armistead, and myself, George Kimbrough Armistead, are his adopted children. I have other memorabilia from this fantastic TEST PILOT, whom I miss dearly! I love you Dad, George

georgearmistead Glad you were able to find this image!

Pilot Francesco Sarabia was killed in this Gee Bee QED when the engine quit and he was forced to bail out over the Potomac.