Crash investigation help!

[bucksmith]

So my cousin, the family genealogists, came up with some negatives in an old box of a flipped biplane in a field. None of our family is in the pictures, so I’m assuming said family member went out to the field by themself to take pictures of the crashed plane. My cousins guess to the age of the negatives puts it between 1910 and 1920.

It would of been somewhere around Flanders, NJ. My family name from there is Erickson. (Swedish immigrants)
That’s all the info I have, thought it would be neat to try and find out the story behind the pictures. Want to help?
First question would be, what kind of airplane is that? Where crashes documented back then?
Could be fun.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Well, I'm pretty sure it's NOT a Jenny. So points to me for being first with the obvious. What the hell were Scandos doing in Joisey? The little girl in the middle of the first picture's expression is hilarious. Happy to be of no help at all, as usual, but thanks for posting, very cool.

 

[milleR]

I love picture #2 ... classic male bystander pose that’s simply ageless. I can almost hear the “figure we can flip ‘er back over if somebody’s got a chain” comments that accompany the hands on hips stance of the new-found recovery experts

 

[bucksmith]

Well, I'm pretty sure it's NOT a Jenny. So points to me for being first with the obvious. What the hell were Scandos doing in Joisey? The little girl in the middle of the first picture's expression is hilarious. Happy to be of no help at all, as usual, but thanks for posting, very cool.

Hilarious? I was thinking more like ‘70’s horror film...

I love picture #2 ... classic male bystander pose that’s simply ageless. I can almost hear the “figure we can flip ‘er back over if somebody’s got a chain” comments that accompany the hands on hips stance of the new-found recovery experts

Yeah, that stance has been passed down to all men!

 

[Murdoughnut]

Our resident expert has already come up with a probable cause

 

[Murdoughnut]

Here's my guess, though - location seems accurate ...

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4 in Long Valley: 1 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

www.baaa-acro.com

 

[CFI A&P]

Here's my guess, though - location seems accurate ...

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4 in Long Valley: 1 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

www.baaa-acro.com

The wrecked airplane in the photos appears to have a nose bowl, not the style cowling that you'd see in the radiator airplanes, such as the Curtis Jenny. Both engines on the DH.4 were water cooled and had a radiator.

 

[gotWXdagain]

Crash investigation in the early years:

“Ya dun dicked ‘er, ya old haberdasher. Better luck tomorrah.”

 

[Itchy]

Love pictures from back then. A universal truth: No fatties.

 

[Murdoughnut]

Love pictures from back then. A universal truth: No fatties.

Compared to the Olive Oyl (of Popeye fame) figures of the day, I'll take my fat chicks.

 

[bucksmith]

Here's my guess, though - location seems accurate ...

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4 in Long Valley: 1 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

www.baaa-acro.com

Wholly cow, that location would be dead on! Good find, if we can just get a positive ID on the airplane...

 

[bucksmith]

The wrecked airplane in the photos appears to have a nose bowl, not the style cowling that you'd see in the radiator airplanes, such as the Curtis Jenny. Both engines on the DH.4 were water cooled and had a radiator.

Did a little google-foo, you’re right, pretty confident we don’t have our bird.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

So my cousin, the family genealogists, came up with some negatives in an old box of a flipped biplane in a field. None of our family is in the pictures, so I’m assuming said family member went out to the field by themself to take pictures of the crashed plane. My cousins guess to the age of the negatives puts it between 1910 and 1920. View attachment 49611View attachment 49612View attachment 49613
It would of been somewhere around Flanders, NJ. My family name from there is Erickson. (Swedish immigrants)
That’s all the info I have, thought it would be neat to try and find out the story behind the pictures. Want to help?
First question would be, what kind of airplane is that? Where crashes documented back then?
Could be fun.

OMG! Those pics are priceless! Where/when did your cousin find the box containing the negatives?

To me, the sartorial clues peg this as happening at an organized event (airshow, barnstorm, etc). I'd start looking for what aviation events occurred in the area in question back then.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

Wholly cow, that location would be dead on! Good find, if we can just get a positive ID on the airplane...

OK, here's the rundown on Cows...

1. BIG ASS COW

2. Curious Cow...

3. Happy/Goofy Cow...

4. HALVES of Cow

5. Half and Half Cow... some folks like cream with their coffee.

6. WHOLE cow.

7. Holy Cow - Literal

8. Holy Cow - Figurative.

 

[Roger Roger]

Compared to the Olive Oyl (of Popeye fame) figures of the day, I'll take my fat chicks.

*freddie mercury starts singing*
”I was just a skinny lad...”

 

[Deleted member 27505]

Here's my guess, though - location seems accurate ...

Crash of a De Havilland DH.4 in Long Valley: 1 killed | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

www.baaa-acro.com

It's a bit hard to tell with the photo angle (and the crash), but the nose does obviously not look right for a DH4

Here's a Airco DH4 in flight:

 

[Murdoughnut]

It's a bit hard to tell with the photo angle (and the crash), but the nose does obviously not look right for a DH4

Here's a Airco DH4 in flight:

View attachment 51473

Maybe it was a speed mod

 

[Deleted member 27505]

Maybe it was a speed mod

@literallyLOLing

 

[AmesAnn]

So I found information on "Jersey Ringel" who was a stunt performer on biplanes in the early 1900's. Some of the photos I found of him are similar to the biplane in your photos. He performed all over the Eastern US. He died in 1930 due to complications from a crash. Perhaps of his planes are in your photos? Although he seemed pretty popular so I'm sure your family would remember if they witnessed his crash. At the very least, maybe it'll steer us in the right direction to find answers.

Philip Harry "Jersey" Ringel - Genealogy.com This is quick info on Jersey Ringel

 

[AmesAnn]

Also, from your photos, it almost appears to be a Curtiss O-1 Falcon. The nose, prop and style is very similar. Curtiss O-1 Falcon - USAAC biplane of the 1920s