crashes into the Atlantic off the coast of New Jersey. Without lifejackets and only one raft aboard, 73 of 75 passengers and crew, including Rear Admiral William A. Moffett, are killed. The Akrons Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawks were not deployed aboard at the time. The new Naval Airship Station at Sunnyvale, California is named Moffett Field in honour of the lost admiral. 4 April The French dirigible E-9 is forced down in France, injuring two. 4 April U.S. Navy airship J-3, A7382, sent out from NAS Lakehurst to search for survivors, experiences engine failure, ditches in the surf of the New Jersey shore. Two crew lose their lives. "Flying to the scene [of the Akron crash], off New Jersey, the U. S. Navy non-rigid airship J-3 also fell into the ocean. Five of the crew of seven were rescued but the commander, found in the sea, died later and the body of a member of the crew was recovered. A photograph taken from an airplane by an Associated Press photographer shows the submerged envelope close to shore with only the rear quarter of the ship with cruciform tailfins still holding gas and above water. 14 April "Jumping from their planes as they crashed in mid-air over Hemet, two March field [sic] aviators parachuted to safety yesterday (14 April) as their planes plunged to earth and smashed to ruins. The two fliers were Lieuts. C. M. McHenry of Upland and Vincent Ford of Alhambra. McHenry was unhurt, but Ford suffered a broken leg as the propellor [sic] of the other plane struck him. Despite the injury, he was able to jump from the ship and parachute to safety from an altitude of 1,500 feet. The planes, their pilots members of the seventeenth pursuit squadron, were flying in formation about five miles south of the army air base, when high winds apparently blew them together. With wings locked, the ships began plunging to earth. Both pilots 'bailed out' as the craft began their wild descent and plunged to earth. Ford was rushed to the base hospital, where his condition was described as 'satisfactory' by physicians. Last night he was moved to Letterman's hospital, San Francisco. McHenry and Ford were both experienced pilots, with many hours in the air to their credit." Charles M. McHenry was flying Boeing P-12D, 31-251, and Ford was piloting P-12D, 31-272. The Aviation Archeology website lists the aircraft as