▁W yn ne ▁were ▁standing ▁on ▁the ▁por ch ▁of ▁Group ▁Oper ations ▁talking ▁to ▁Captain ▁Charles ▁C . ▁Cha un ce y , ▁the ▁Oper ations ▁Officer , ▁watching ▁Uncle ▁Hor ace ▁H ick am ▁shooting ▁night ▁land ings ▁in ▁his ▁Curt iss ▁A - 1 2 . ▁It ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁eight ▁o ' clock ▁as ▁they ▁observed ▁the ▁Colonel ▁coming ▁in ▁for ▁his ▁second ▁touch down . ▁They ▁realized ▁he ▁was ▁low ▁and ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁unders ho ot . ▁So ▁did ▁H ick am . ▁He ▁applied ▁power ▁to ▁correct ▁the ▁error ▁and ▁then ▁cho pped ▁it ▁off ▁too ▁soon . ▁The ▁watch ers ▁saw ▁the ▁A - 1 2 ' s ▁whe els ▁hit ▁the ▁emb ank ment ▁just ▁below ▁its ▁top , ▁saw ▁the ▁plane ▁f li pped ▁on ▁its ▁nose , ▁sk idd ing ▁along ▁the ▁ground , ▁the ▁weight ▁of ▁its ▁engine ▁te aring ▁up ▁the ▁tur f , ▁and ▁then ▁saw ▁it ▁snap ▁over ▁on ▁its ▁back , ▁sle wing ▁completely ▁around . ▁The ▁three ▁men ▁were ▁running ▁toward ▁the ▁aircraft ▁before ▁the ▁sound ▁had ▁died . ▁W yn ne ▁arrived ▁first , ▁y elling , ▁" Col onel , ▁are ▁you ▁hurt ? ▁Can ▁you ▁hear ▁me ?" ▁There ▁was ▁no ▁answer . ▁The ▁co ck pit ▁rim ▁was ▁flat ▁on ▁the ▁ground . ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁en list ed ▁men ▁came ▁charg ing ▁up , ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁crash ▁tr uck ▁and ▁an ▁amb ul ance . ▁Even ▁after ▁R ens h