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[Randy Conrad]

I ran across this article this evening and wanting to know if anyone knows about this incident that took place in Tucson, Arizona on May 21, 1937?




21 May 1937: Amelia Mary Earhart
May 21, 20151930sAmelia Earhart, Amelia Mary Earhart, Around-the-World-Flight, Burbank, Circumnavigation, Electra, Electra 10E, Fred Noonan, Lockheed, Lockheed Model 10E Electra, NR16020, Tucson, Union Air Terminal   
Union Air Terminal
Amelia Earhart prepares to leave Burbank, California, 21 May 1937.

21 May 1937: Day 2 of Amelia Earhart’s second attempt to fly around the world aboard her Lockheed Electra 10E, NR16020. She and her navigator, Fred Noonan fly from Union Air Terminal, Burbank, California to Tucson, Arizona, where they stopped to refuel. Her husband, George Palmer Putnam, and aircraft mechanic Ruckins D. “Bo” McKneely were also aboard.

When Earhart attempted to restart the left engine at Tucson, it caught fire. An unplanned overnight stay was required while the damage was repaired. “Accompanying me on this hop across the continent was Fred Noonan. “Bo” McKneely my mechanic, and Mr. Putnam. A leisurely afternoon’s flight ended at Tucson, Arizona. The weather was sailing hot as Arizona can be in summertime. After landing and checking in, when I started my motors again to taxi to the filling pit the left one back-fired and burst into flames. For a few seconds it was nip-and-tuck whether the fire would get away from us. There weren’t adequate extinguishers ready on the ground but fortunately the Lux apparatus built in the engine killed the fire. The damage was trivial, mostly some pungently cooked rubber fittings a deal of dirty grime. The engine required a good cleaning and the ship a face-washing.” —Amelia Earhart

© 2015, Bryan R. Swopes
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[Randy Conrad]

Picture of Electra at Burbank Airport

[Monty Fowler]

If I remember correctly, Putnam managed to get some advertising mileage out of this, with the Lux on-board fire extinguishing system.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 EC

[Ric Gillespie]

I ran across this article this evening and wanting to know if anyone knows about this incident that took place in Tucson, Arizona on May 21, 1937?

Yes.  I'm familar with the incident.  She apparently over-primed the engine.