On February 26 , 1941 , Congressman Byron boarded Eastern Air Lines Flight 21 at Washington . The plane was en route from New York City to Brownsville , Texas , with stops at Washington , D.C. and Atlanta , Georgia . On its approach to Atlanta 's Chandler Field , the Douglas DC-3 crashed , killing 9 of the 16 persons on board , including Byron . Eddie Rickenbacker , flying ace and President of Eastern , survived with serious injuries . Byron was interred in Riverview Cemetery in Williamsport , Maryland
Flight 21
Eastern Air Lines Flight 21
William D. Byron