y ▁Field . ▁▁ 3 1 ▁May ▁Curt iss ▁B - 2 ▁Cond or , ▁ 2 9 - 3 6 , ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Squadron , ▁en ▁route ▁from ▁Day ton , ▁Ohio , ▁to ▁March ▁Field , ▁California , ▁suff ers ▁failure ▁of ▁one ▁engine ▁and ▁is ▁forced ▁down ▁two ▁miles ▁SE ▁of ▁Ab il ene , ▁Texas . ▁The ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁report ▁states , ▁" F ive ▁army ▁av i ators , ▁en ▁route ▁to ▁March ▁field ▁[ s ic ], ▁California , ▁from ▁Day ton , ▁Ohio , ▁narrow ly ▁escaped ▁injury ▁when ▁their ▁giant ▁bom ber ▁crack ed ▁up ▁near ▁here ▁( Ab il ene ) ▁today . ▁The ▁pilot ▁was ▁attempting ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁Ab il ene ▁air port ▁after ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁mot ors ▁had ▁cut ▁out . ▁The ▁bom ber ▁lost ▁alt itude ▁rapidly , ▁however , ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁forced ▁landing ▁the ▁right ▁wing ▁was ▁cli pped ▁by ▁a ▁wire . ▁A ▁power ▁line ▁fell ▁across ▁a ▁bar bed ▁wire ▁f ence , ▁charg ing ▁it , ▁and ▁a ▁work man , ▁running ▁toward ▁the ▁plane , ▁was ▁slightly ▁burn ed . ▁The ▁f liers , ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁ele vent h ▁bomb ard ment ▁squad ron , ▁were ▁Lie uten ants ▁Charles ▁H . ▁Howard , ▁pilot , ▁and ▁John ▁F . ▁M ills , ▁co - p il ot ; ▁Serge ants ▁Cec il ▁M . ▁Kil he f fer , ▁Harold