, ▁Major ▁C . ▁E . ▁Baker , ▁Sur geon , ▁and ▁ ▁Lie ut . ▁Richard ▁E . ▁C obb , ▁Supp ly ▁Officer , ▁ 5 2 nd ▁School ▁Squadron , ▁on ▁Saturday , ▁January ▁ 1 8 th , ▁as ▁the ▁two ▁officers ▁were ▁making ▁a ▁cross - country ▁flight ▁from ▁Bro oks ▁Field ▁to ▁Mat ag ord a ▁Island ▁for ▁the ▁week ▁end . ▁ ▁Sm oke ▁pour ing ▁from ▁the ▁over he ated ▁ins ulation ▁w iring ▁first ▁gave ▁indic ation ▁of ▁serious ▁mechanical ▁trouble , ▁and ▁Lie ut . ▁C obb , ▁the ▁pilot , ▁hast ened ▁to ▁land . ▁ ▁Bl ind ed ▁and ▁almost ▁overcome ▁by ▁smoke , ▁however , ▁he ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁proper ▁landing , ▁and ▁the ▁air plane ▁crash ed ▁to ▁the ▁ground , ▁rendering ▁his ▁passenger ▁and ▁himself ▁un cons cious . ▁ ▁To ▁ag gra v ate ▁a ▁situation ▁already ▁prec ari ous , ▁the ▁gas oline ▁tank ▁developed ▁a ▁leak ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁plane ▁had ▁land ed . ▁ ▁When ▁Major ▁Baker ▁and ▁Lie ut . ▁C obb ▁reg ained ▁conscious ness , ▁they ▁found ▁that ▁had ▁another ▁five ▁minutes ▁el apsed , ▁they ▁would ▁have ▁become ▁tra pped ▁in ▁the ▁fl ames ▁that ▁completely ▁consum ed ▁the ▁air plane . ▁ ▁Major ▁Baker ▁sust ained ▁a ▁badly ▁la cer ated ▁fore head , ▁and ▁Lie ut . ▁C obb ▁a ▁w rench ed ▁back . ▁ ▁Offic ers ▁of ▁Bro oks ▁Field ▁who ▁investig ated ▁the