Melvin Unruh, 22, was killed instantly, and a brother, Arlan Unruh, 14, was fatally injured, about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday of this week when the light training plane which Melvin was flying crashed into a plowed field on the Unruh farm 13 miles northwest of Wilmore in southern Kiowa county. Arlan was taken in a Greensburg ambulance to St. Anthony's hospital in Dodge City, where the boy died at 2:45 p.m. that afternoon. They are sons of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Unruh, who, with a son, Merle, were in eastern Colorado at the time, going to look at a farm which they purchased last year.The elder brother had learned to fly a bit in New Jersey and had a student license, with about 13 hours flying time. He had rented a training plane from the Stark Flying Service and came to the local airport Wednesday morning by himself and took off, as usual. Later, he landed on the Unruh farm and took on as a passenger his brother, Arlan, to take him for a ride.
As they flew low about 50 yards from the Unruh home the left wing of the plane struck the ground in a plowed field when the plane banked, and a crash followed. A 12 year old brother who, it is said was waiting his turn for a ride, witnessed the accident and was unable to get his brothers out of the wreckage. He ran to the home of a close neighbor, John Little and together they returned to the scene of the crash, then rushed to the home of Roy Smith, a neighbor, two miles away, who has a phone. The ambulance was summoned and an uncle, Jake Unruh, was notified.
The plane was almost completely wrecked. In the aluminum instrument dash of the plane is the imprint of the skull of the 14 year old, miraculously lived even four hours. The pilot suffered a broken back and many other injuries, and his death was instantaneous.
The brothers in the fatal crash are survived by their parents, their 12 year old brother, and Merle Unruh, 18, who was a member of the Wilmore High School 1947 graduating class.
All during the day on Wednesday efforts to locate the parents were unavailing as they were on their way from Colorado. They knew nothing about the accident until they stopped in Greensburg late in the afternoon to inquire about having a refrigerator serviced. Mr. and Mrs. Unruh then learned that the bodies of two of their sons were in the Greensburg funeral home.
The sorrowing relatives have the sincere sympathy of all in the untimely death of their beloved ones.
Note by J.F.: The story of this tragic crash is one I heard from my dad, Wendel Ferrin, as it occurred just north across the road from a wheat field Dad leased in Kiowa county when I was growing up. I'm sure that I first heard of this accident when I was riding along on the combine as we circled the field to harvest wheat. The Unruh Farm appears just north of the road running east and west in this 1 April 1996 U.S.G.S. aerial photograph.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
This website is being created by HTML Guy Jerry Ferrin with the able assistance of many Contributors. Your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site are welcome. Please sign the Guest Book. This page was last updated 09 January 2006.