Remember When: 1st plane crash in Alle-Kiski Valley took place in 1920

On Nov. 16, 1920, a Curtiss biplane crash-landed in the Allegheny River near the Brackenridge intake plant at River Avenue and Morgan Street. This was the first airplane crash to occur in the Alle-Kiski Valley.

The plane was piloted by Lt. J.P. Morris, 24, a former Army aviator from Pittsburgh. Morris had served as an aviator during World War I. He was delivering the new airplane from the Curtiss factory in Buffalo, N.Y., to Meyer Aviation Co. in Pittsburgh.

The first part of the flight was uneventful, and Morris had been making good time toward his destination. It was late in the afternoon when he entered the A-K Valley and encountered sleet and fog. The poor visibility and weather conditions forced him to fly close to the ground for safety. He then began to experience engine problems. He flew toward the airfield at Natrona Heights but was unable to land.

Eyewitnesses said his plane was flying low and barely clearing rooftops. It was feared he would crash in a populated area. Morris piloted the aircraft toward the Allegheny River and set it down 125 feet off the shore at Morgan Street in Brackenridge. In the twilight, Guy Bouch and Fred Kraus, both of Brackenridge, heard his calls for help and took out a small boat. They found Morris clinging to the tail of the fuselage, his clothes soaked through by the icy waters of the river. He was taken ashore to a nearby house where he was given warm, dry clothes.

Because of its large wings, the plane did not sink. It was towed to shore by Bion Renouf who operated a ferry service in Tarentum. The plane was taken to the S.K. Johnson garage in Brackenridge, where it was repaired and disassembled for transport to the airfield at Natrona Heights. It was reassembled at the airfield for the last leg of its journey to Pittsburgh.

Nine days later, on Thanksgiving Day, Morris took off. He made several passes over Tarentum before returning to the airfield in Natrona Heights to make engine adjustments. When they were completed, he took to the air again to fulfill his mission.