More detail on this person: Mid-air collision
while on cross country flight at Ft Wolters.
Collided with another student, Ronald Elwell.
Both were solo.I had to borrow a microfilm reader
from Weatherford college, haul it to the MIneral
Wells library, put a newspaper over my head to
shade the light to make the film readable, but it
worked. This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
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The Mineral Wells Index Headline story on Sunday
Jan 24, 1960 was the mid-air collision of two
helicopters. "Killed in the crash were Capt
Ronald S. Elwell, 31, of Tulasa, OK ... and 2nd Lt
Jerry L. Burton, 23, of Inglefield, IN a 1958
graduate of the United States Military Academy at
West Point. The accident occurred 1:15 Friday
[Jan 22 by my reckoning] 2.5 miles north of Camp
Wolters on the Grady Seale Ranch."
The pilots had just taken off for a cross country
flight to Abilene...NOTE that they were both solo.
These were the 1st fatalities in the helicopter
school which had graduated 3,000 students. Lt
Eugene Fudge was the first to reach the crash site
(a member according to the directory).
PHOTO CAPTION - "Death Trap - Capt Ronald S.
Elwell, 31, a student at the United States Army
Primary Helicopter School died in this trainging
wreckage friday afternoon after his helicopter was
apparently in a mid air collision with another
heliopter (U.S. Army Photo)"
From: Jim Messinger
Funeral for First Lt. Jerry L. Burton, 23, who was
killed in a helicopter crash near Mineral Wells,
Tex., Friday, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Boone
Funeral Home. The Rev. Stanley R. Meckel will
officiate.
The body will then be taken to the U.S. Military
Academy, West Point, N.Y. for full military
services at 2 p.m. Tuesday, with burial in the
West Point Cemetery. Lt. Burton was a graduate of
the academy in 1958.
The body will be in the local funeral home after
10 a.m. Friday.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Burton,
Inglefield Road.
Pilots Are Killed As 'Copters Collide
MINERAL WELLS (UPI) - Two Army helicopters
collided in the air north of Mineral Wells Friday,
killing both pilots, Capt. Ronald S. Elwell, 31,
of Tulsa, Okla., and Lt. Jerry L. Burton, 23, of
Inglefield, Ind.
The crash occurred over desolate ranch country.
Both of the H-23D helicopters fell into a dense
live oak thicket, and one of them burned.
The officers were stationed at Camp Wolters, Tex.,
on the east side of Mineral Wells. It is the
Army's primary training camp for helicopter
pilots.
Elwell is survived by his wife and father, Henry
S. Elwell of Tulsa. Burton's survivors include
his wife and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William B.
Burton of Inglefield.