Burt Eugene Skeel was a

United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...

and civilian pilot.

Biography

He was born on May 5, 1894, in

East Cleveland, Ohio East Cleveland is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,792 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a suburb lying east and south of Cleveland and west of Cleveland Heights. History Historically Eas ...

, to Frank E. and Artemisia Edgerton Skeel. Skeel commanded the 27th Pursuit Squadron of the First Pursuit Group at

Selfridge Field Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens. Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the Un ...

Mount Clemens, Michigan Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 15,697 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the county seat, seat of government of Macomb County, Michigan, Macomb County and part of the Metro Detroit, Det ...

. On October 6, 1923, Skeel won the second running of the Mitchell Trophy Race in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, with his MB-3A reaching a speed of 161 mph (258 km/h). Skeel had boasted that he intended to win the Pulitzer Trophy Race at

Wilbur Wright Field Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I List of Training Section Air Service airfields, pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army ...

. Instead, he was killed on October 4, 1924,"Capt. Skeel Killed in Dayton Air Race; 50,000 See Plunge; Plane Crumples as Army Officer Dives for Start in Pulitzer Prize Contest", ''The New York Times'', October 5, 1924, p.1 when the wings of his Curtiss broke away from the fuselage when he was still at 2,000 feet (615 m), and he went into a dive at about 275 mph (440 km/h). Camp Skeel in

Oscoda, Michigan Oscoda ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP had a population of 916 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Au Sable Township and Oscoda Town ...

was named in his memory.

References

1894 births 1924 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States People from East Cleveland, Ohio Sports deaths in Ohio United States Army officers Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1924 {{aviation-bio-stub