I have a new book coming out in June. It is entitled Sabotage: A Chronicle of the Chesterton Crash. I became fascinated about this case when I was doing research for an entirely different book and decided this one needed its own. What follows is not an excerpt from the book. These series of articles is just to educate people about the crash.
On the night of October 10, 1933 something happened that shattered the peaceful night over Chesterton, Indiana. Above the heads of the small community, comprised mostly of farmers and small-town people, something happened that had never happened before. A Boeing 247 airliner exploded and crashed to the ground. It was heard and seen by dozens in and around the community of Chesterton. Inside the plane were seven people, all of whom were killed. Two of them were flung from the plane when it split in two as the explosion ripped the plane apart near the tail. The rest died when the plane hit the ground and burst into flames.
It was not the first airplane accident. Far from it. Planes had been in the air for quite some time by then. What would set this one apart, however, was the investigation into the crash. At that time there was no NTSB, so it was local law enforcement that stepped in. Then, since the plane was traveling across the country, the FBI was brought in. As they began studying the crash site and the pieces of the plane, they made a startling discover, a discovery that would shock many.
The plane had been brought down by a bomb…