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Re: Seeking information about Curtiss "flying boat" accident in 1916
Jason Atkinson
Jan 24, 2022 1:51 PM
Dear Ms. Miller,
Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!
Prior to the Air Commerce Act of 1926, the federal government did not play a role in regulating private and commercial aviation safety or investigating accidents. See A Brief History of the FAA and History of The National Transportation Safety Board. However, we located a newspaper article about the accident stating that a government tug took the wrecked aircraft to Fort Washington for examination. It does not say who examined the wreck. We searched the National Archives Catalog, but we were not able to locate any records of Fort Washington that may be relevant to the investigation.
The aircraft is stated to have operated out of the Atlantic Coast Aeronautical Station, a training facility owned and operated by Glenn Curtis. The Hampton Roads Naval Museum may have additional information about this facility. Plus, you may wish to contact the Curtiss-Wright Corporation to inquire about historical records that they may have inherited from their predecessors.
We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!