Mr. Pruitt has a Memorial Marker at Zion Baptist Church in Cleveland County, NC
Son of James Cleo Pruitt
&
Mattie Clark Pruitt.
~
This is unique in the fact that Asa Pruitt actually died here in the place marked. It was said he was on his honeymoon and went to the bathroom. The wrong door opened and he fell out of the airplane that was flying over the Zion Baptist Church cemetery. A cemetery worker was present when this happened and heard the body when it fell. Mr Pruitt's body was removed for permanent burial at Evergreen.
ORAN ASA PRUITT
Fell From Airplane
June 13, 1956
The story of the fallen man: "I was over yonder on the next hill, running a combine. I saw the plane fly over and saw something fall. A fellow was right down here digging a grave when this man fell out of the sky and landed right at this spot. He didn't roll or bounce or anything. He just made a sizeable dent in the ground."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well, he was flying from Winston-Salem to Asheville on a Piedmont twin-engine plane. They say he needed to go to the bathroom. He just opened the wrong door and the wind sucked him right out of the plane. The worst thing about it was that he was on his honeymoon.'
"Did they bury him here?"
"No, He died when he hit the ground here in the cemetery. The deacons of the church decided to put down the marker. They took the fellow off somewhere else to bury him."
===============
Passenger Falls 6,500 Feet To His Death Through The Main Cabin Door
"June 13, 1956, A passenger on Piedmont Airlines Flight 5, DC-3C N 45Y, fell to his death through the main cabin door from an altitude of 6,500 feet, near Shelby, North Carolina, at approximately 1807, 1/ June 13, 1956. The crew and other passengers were not involved in the accident. The air stair door received minor damage during the inflight opening and subsequent flight to a normal landing at Asheville, North Carolina. Piedmont Airlines Flight 5 originated at Fayetteville, North Carolina, destination Louisville, Kentucky, with intermediate stops at Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina, and Tri-Cities, Tennessee.
It departed Charlotte at 1744,six minutes late, with Captain Baxter B. Slaughter, Jr., First Officer Henry A. Schulze, Jr., and Purser Bert R. Barnes as crew members, and 24 passengers. Seated in next to the rearmost air of seats on the left side were Mr. and Mrs. Oren A. Pruitt, who had been transferred to Piedmont Flight 5 after arriving at the airport too late to claim their reservations on another carriers flight that departed Charlotte at approximately 1715. The aircraft reached 6,500 feet ms1 cruising altitude at approximately 1806.
The seat belt sign had been left on since takeoff because of anticipated turbulence, which had not developed. About one minute later, at 1807, while the purser was on the flight deck obtaining information for a passenger, the aircraft suddenly yawed to the left as the cockpit door-warning light came on. The first officer and purser immediately went to the rear of the cabin where they found the main cabin door fully open. A woman passenger, who was in the lavatory when the door opened, left the lavatory and assisted past the open door by the two crew members. A passenger check revealed that Oren A. Pruitt was missing. The captain circled to establish the location and then proceeded to Asheville, Where a routine landing was made. The flight was canceled at Asheville and the aircraft remained there awaiting inspection. The U.S. Weather Bureau 1728 observation at Charlotte was: Scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, visibility 12 miles."
Son of James Cleo Pruitt
&
Mattie Clark Pruitt.
~
This is unique in the fact that Asa Pruitt actually died here in the place marked. It was said he was on his honeymoon and went to the bathroom. The wrong door opened and he fell out of the airplane that was flying over the Zion Baptist Church cemetery. A cemetery worker was present when this happened and heard the body when it fell. Mr Pruitt's body was removed for permanent burial at Evergreen.
ORAN ASA PRUITT
Fell From Airplane
June 13, 1956
The story of the fallen man: "I was over yonder on the next hill, running a combine. I saw the plane fly over and saw something fall. A fellow was right down here digging a grave when this man fell out of the sky and landed right at this spot. He didn't roll or bounce or anything. He just made a sizeable dent in the ground."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well, he was flying from Winston-Salem to Asheville on a Piedmont twin-engine plane. They say he needed to go to the bathroom. He just opened the wrong door and the wind sucked him right out of the plane. The worst thing about it was that he was on his honeymoon.'
"Did they bury him here?"
"No, He died when he hit the ground here in the cemetery. The deacons of the church decided to put down the marker. They took the fellow off somewhere else to bury him."
===============
Passenger Falls 6,500 Feet To His Death Through The Main Cabin Door
"June 13, 1956, A passenger on Piedmont Airlines Flight 5, DC-3C N 45Y, fell to his death through the main cabin door from an altitude of 6,500 feet, near Shelby, North Carolina, at approximately 1807, 1/ June 13, 1956. The crew and other passengers were not involved in the accident. The air stair door received minor damage during the inflight opening and subsequent flight to a normal landing at Asheville, North Carolina. Piedmont Airlines Flight 5 originated at Fayetteville, North Carolina, destination Louisville, Kentucky, with intermediate stops at Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina, and Tri-Cities, Tennessee.
It departed Charlotte at 1744,six minutes late, with Captain Baxter B. Slaughter, Jr., First Officer Henry A. Schulze, Jr., and Purser Bert R. Barnes as crew members, and 24 passengers. Seated in next to the rearmost air of seats on the left side were Mr. and Mrs. Oren A. Pruitt, who had been transferred to Piedmont Flight 5 after arriving at the airport too late to claim their reservations on another carriers flight that departed Charlotte at approximately 1715. The aircraft reached 6,500 feet ms1 cruising altitude at approximately 1806.
The seat belt sign had been left on since takeoff because of anticipated turbulence, which had not developed. About one minute later, at 1807, while the purser was on the flight deck obtaining information for a passenger, the aircraft suddenly yawed to the left as the cockpit door-warning light came on. The first officer and purser immediately went to the rear of the cabin where they found the main cabin door fully open. A woman passenger, who was in the lavatory when the door opened, left the lavatory and assisted past the open door by the two crew members. A passenger check revealed that Oren A. Pruitt was missing. The captain circled to establish the location and then proceeded to Asheville, Where a routine landing was made. The flight was canceled at Asheville and the aircraft remained there awaiting inspection. The U.S. Weather Bureau 1728 observation at Charlotte was: Scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, visibility 12 miles."
Mr. Pruitt has a Memorial Marker at Zion Baptist Church in Cleveland County, NC
Son of James Cleo Pruitt
&
Mattie Clark Pruitt.
~
This is unique in the fact that Asa Pruitt actually died here in the place marked. It was said he was on his honeymoon and went to the bathroom. The wrong door opened and he fell out of the airplane that was flying over the Zion Baptist Church cemetery. A cemetery worker was present when this happened and heard the body when it fell. Mr Pruitt's body was removed for permanent burial at Evergreen.
ORAN ASA PRUITT
Fell From Airplane
June 13, 1956
The story of the fallen man: "I was over yonder on the next hill, running a combine. I saw the plane fly over and saw something fall. A fellow was right down here digging a grave when this man fell out of the sky and landed right at this spot. He didn't roll or bounce or anything. He just made a sizeable dent in the ground."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well, he was flying from Winston-Salem to Asheville on a Piedmont twin-engine plane. They say he needed to go to the bathroom. He just opened the wrong door and the wind sucked him right out of the plane. The worst thing about it was that he was on his honeymoon.'
"Did they bury him here?"
"No, He died when he hit the ground here in the cemetery. The deacons of the church decided to put down the marker. They took the fellow off somewhere else to bury him."
===============
Passenger Falls 6,500 Feet To His Death Through The Main Cabin Door
"June 13, 1956, A passenger on Piedmont Airlines Flight 5, DC-3C N 45Y, fell to his death through the main cabin door from an altitude of 6,500 feet, near Shelby, North Carolina, at approximately 1807, 1/ June 13, 1956. The crew and other passengers were not involved in the accident. The air stair door received minor damage during the inflight opening and subsequent flight to a normal landing at Asheville, North Carolina. Piedmont Airlines Flight 5 originated at Fayetteville, North Carolina, destination Louisville, Kentucky, with intermediate stops at Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina, and Tri-Cities, Tennessee.
It departed Charlotte at 1744,six minutes late, with Captain Baxter B. Slaughter, Jr., First Officer Henry A. Schulze, Jr., and Purser Bert R. Barnes as crew members, and 24 passengers. Seated in next to the rearmost air of seats on the left side were Mr. and Mrs. Oren A. Pruitt, who had been transferred to Piedmont Flight 5 after arriving at the airport too late to claim their reservations on another carriers flight that departed Charlotte at approximately 1715. The aircraft reached 6,500 feet ms1 cruising altitude at approximately 1806.
The seat belt sign had been left on since takeoff because of anticipated turbulence, which had not developed. About one minute later, at 1807, while the purser was on the flight deck obtaining information for a passenger, the aircraft suddenly yawed to the left as the cockpit door-warning light came on. The first officer and purser immediately went to the rear of the cabin where they found the main cabin door fully open. A woman passenger, who was in the lavatory when the door opened, left the lavatory and assisted past the open door by the two crew members. A passenger check revealed that Oren A. Pruitt was missing. The captain circled to establish the location and then proceeded to Asheville, Where a routine landing was made. The flight was canceled at Asheville and the aircraft remained there awaiting inspection. The U.S. Weather Bureau 1728 observation at Charlotte was: Scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, visibility 12 miles."
Son of James Cleo Pruitt
&
Mattie Clark Pruitt.
~
This is unique in the fact that Asa Pruitt actually died here in the place marked. It was said he was on his honeymoon and went to the bathroom. The wrong door opened and he fell out of the airplane that was flying over the Zion Baptist Church cemetery. A cemetery worker was present when this happened and heard the body when it fell. Mr Pruitt's body was removed for permanent burial at Evergreen.
ORAN ASA PRUITT
Fell From Airplane
June 13, 1956
The story of the fallen man: "I was over yonder on the next hill, running a combine. I saw the plane fly over and saw something fall. A fellow was right down here digging a grave when this man fell out of the sky and landed right at this spot. He didn't roll or bounce or anything. He just made a sizeable dent in the ground."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well, he was flying from Winston-Salem to Asheville on a Piedmont twin-engine plane. They say he needed to go to the bathroom. He just opened the wrong door and the wind sucked him right out of the plane. The worst thing about it was that he was on his honeymoon.'
"Did they bury him here?"
"No, He died when he hit the ground here in the cemetery. The deacons of the church decided to put down the marker. They took the fellow off somewhere else to bury him."
===============
Passenger Falls 6,500 Feet To His Death Through The Main Cabin Door
"June 13, 1956, A passenger on Piedmont Airlines Flight 5, DC-3C N 45Y, fell to his death through the main cabin door from an altitude of 6,500 feet, near Shelby, North Carolina, at approximately 1807, 1/ June 13, 1956. The crew and other passengers were not involved in the accident. The air stair door received minor damage during the inflight opening and subsequent flight to a normal landing at Asheville, North Carolina. Piedmont Airlines Flight 5 originated at Fayetteville, North Carolina, destination Louisville, Kentucky, with intermediate stops at Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina, and Tri-Cities, Tennessee.
It departed Charlotte at 1744,six minutes late, with Captain Baxter B. Slaughter, Jr., First Officer Henry A. Schulze, Jr., and Purser Bert R. Barnes as crew members, and 24 passengers. Seated in next to the rearmost air of seats on the left side were Mr. and Mrs. Oren A. Pruitt, who had been transferred to Piedmont Flight 5 after arriving at the airport too late to claim their reservations on another carriers flight that departed Charlotte at approximately 1715. The aircraft reached 6,500 feet ms1 cruising altitude at approximately 1806.
The seat belt sign had been left on since takeoff because of anticipated turbulence, which had not developed. About one minute later, at 1807, while the purser was on the flight deck obtaining information for a passenger, the aircraft suddenly yawed to the left as the cockpit door-warning light came on. The first officer and purser immediately went to the rear of the cabin where they found the main cabin door fully open. A woman passenger, who was in the lavatory when the door opened, left the lavatory and assisted past the open door by the two crew members. A passenger check revealed that Oren A. Pruitt was missing. The captain circled to establish the location and then proceeded to Asheville, Where a routine landing was made. The flight was canceled at Asheville and the aircraft remained there awaiting inspection. The U.S. Weather Bureau 1728 observation at Charlotte was: Scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, visibility 12 miles."
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