This e-mail was sent to me by Mr.Robert Schwarts, With his permission, I like to share it with you.

Yes Homer you sure can and we had just finished rebuilding the wings on the plane we were flying and this was a good test for us. I was doing radio work and rebuilding aircraft when I had spare time. I had sold out to my brother the rental business in Louisville and was helping out Dale Monday and Richard Kopp in Jeffersonville In. who rebuilds damaged aircraft and does salvage work . Hope you can use the info sent and was glad to find info on the tornado. I am now retired in Florida and enjoy boating here on the Gulf Coast. Robert Schwarts

"On april 3 1974 I was flying in a twin engine airplane which when we left Louisville Kentucky. (actually from Haps airport in Jeffersonville In. ) we studied the weather and found it strange. We delayed our trip for about one and one/half hours before deciding to go ahead and go up to Mad River Ohio to install a radio in an airplane so we could fly it back to Jeffersonville for repairs. We were almost to Cincinnati when everything went crazy. the instruments went crazy and the lights went out. we were blind as It turned pitch-black outside and the plane actually started flying backwards and we could feel ourselves being bounced to the overhead and then thrown to the dash then back against the seat. We had no control of the plane. Our radio was nothing but noise and we could not get through to the Cincinnati airfield. Our transponder was out also. Finally the air control answered our emergency call and had us make a try at turning 90 degrees after we maintained some control of the plane. They said there was so much debris in the air they could not find us. Finally they had us make another turn and they said that they thought they had us. It was still pitch black and we could not see anything. They maneuvered us several times and confirmed they had us. They told us to make a 90 and corrected us as our instruments meant nothing. They told us to continue as fast as we could to our destination. They said to drop in altitude several times and finally after following their directions they said we should see the end of the runway (NOW) and sure enough we broke through the clouds and we were 10 feet off the runway when we broke through the blackness. As we landed we rushed to the hanger and tied the plane down. 5 Minutes later the radio announced that the tornado was tearing through Xenia Ohio. This was quite a trip and hope that anyone caught in a tornado like that has the opportunity to tell his tale. I was very lucky. My Brothers business In Louisville was hit bad and he was almost wiped out. What an EXPERIENCE.. Survivor of one of the most harrowing experiences."

"We flew over as close to Xenia as we could do to the restrictions about flying over a disaster area and saw the destruction. It was something to see and We did not have a camera with us so could not take pictures but saw the circle drives with the scattered wood and destroyed houses caught in the path of natures fury. We were thankful to those great guys way down in Cincinnati airport (actually in Kentucky) for their patience and knowledge to be able to direct us so accurately to our destination. The letter was getting so long I broke it up. Thanks again for the pictures . These are the first ones I have seen from Xenia." Robert Schwartz

 

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Waynesville, Ohio