SAMBARTARO, Salvatore F.

The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ December 18, 1953 LUKE FIELD PILOT LOST LIFE IN JET CRASH NEAR TOWN Ill-fated pilot of the F-84 jet plane from Luke Field which crashed about five miles north of town not far from the Prescott Highway last Friday afternoon, was identified by Luke Field as 1st Lt. Salvatore F. Sambartaro of Staten Island. He was 29 years of age, married, and the father of two children. Lt. Sambartaro’s jet was one of many in this vicinity last Friday afternoon. Jet trails filled the blue sky. A Phoenix youth, Pau; Wellenmon, told Highway Patrolman George Pemberton, who arrived at the scene soon after the crash, that he and a companion were hunting in the area when they saw the plane suddenly dive directly into the ground. An explosion flowed, he said, throwing bits of the plane over a wide area. Near Other Crash The site of the crash was on land owned by Morton Bodfish and was well within a mile of where another jet crashed this past summer, also killing the pilot. Many residents of Wickenburg and outlying territories either saw the plane head for the ground or else heard the terrific explosion and observed the black smoke cloud which followed. A large crowd gathered at the scene but dwindled away when personnel from Luke Field arrived to take over. The remains of the pilot were taken to that field. Wickenburg Fire Department took a truck out but it was not needed.