Tony Thompson vividly remembers the day in 1951 that his uncle, Jimmy Filor, died in a plane crash.
“I remember coming home from swimming at the Bronxville Field Club to find my mother in tears after having learned that Pop’s cousin, who they were very fond of, had crashed, along with his wife and two boys, in his private plane.”
Jimmy Filor (1919-1951), who was a trained pilot and had worked for American Airlines, was the son of Mabel Thompson Filor, the sister of J.E. and William Boyce Thompson. He married his college sweetheart, Elizabeth Jane Nichols, shortly after they both graduated from Stanford.
The Filors lived on the 127,000-acre Yolo Ranch near Prescott, Arizona. Tony’s brothers, Boyce and Bill, used to visit Jimmy there during their high school summers. The property is for sale for $12 million today.
The couple had two children, James Nicholas, and Ross Litton. The entire family, along with their dog, was on the plane when it reportedly lost a wing and crashed in Vandalia, Illinois, on August 27, 1951. Jimmy was 32, Elizabeth 31, James Nicholas 6, and Ross Lintern 4.
The Filors were on their way to visit friends on the east coast. They had spent the previous night in St. Louis, about 70 miles west of Vandalia. They were were on route to Pittsburgh, where they planned to refuel, before heading to Connecticut, according to their flight plan.
Some Vandalia residents also vividly remember the day of the crash. According to eyewitness reports, the Beechcraft Bonanza wirled around and around, lost a wing, crashed through trees, then plunged into an unoccupied car on Sixth Street in the business district near the cemetery. Part of the plane fell on a house, though no one was injured.
Several residents told the Vandalia Leader that they heard the plane circle over the city that morning. Witnesses said that plane spiralled three or more times through the clouds. Then it descended rapidly, its throttle wide open, skimming the treetops. The plane dove nose-first into a car that belonged to Carl Boggs, who worked at the nearby Old Capitol Monument Works.
Two firetrucks rushed to the wreckage. They sat idly by while rescue workers extracted bodies from the plane, which didn’t catch fire. Police put up a barricade as nearly 2,000 people converged on the scene.
The Filors, it was later learned, were on their way to visit their old friends, the Ross Litton Sibley family, in Haddam, Conn. Their youngest son was named for this family. The Sibley’s 3-year-old son was named James Filor Sibley.
The cause of the crash remains a mystery, though circumstantial evidence points to a likely cause. A local Civil Aeronautics Authority investigation revealed that Filor had flipped off the ignition, a sign that he knew the plane would crash. The organization also reported that Filor never radioed the ground to let authorities know the plane was in distress.
That may have been because the plane lost communication. At least that’s what Filor’s friend, Ely W. Moore of Bridgeport, Conn., speculated in a letter to The Vandalia Leader, a week after the crash. Moore also noted that Filor didn’t like to fly by instruments in a single-engine aircraft, even though he know how to do so.
Moore, who was a pilot and had flown Filor’s plane, suspected that Filor dipped below a 1,000-foot cloud bank to get his bearings then discovered that he was only 500 feet above the ground. When Filor tried to climb the plane, Moore speculated, a wing probably buckled from the pressure. Witnesses said there were indications the wings disintegrated–large sheet metal fragments fell to the ground over a wide expanse, littering rooftops and lawns.
Moore also said that he had been in touch with the Filors the night before the crash. The family apparently had enjoyed their stay in St. Louis. The children had fun riding the hotel elevators. The family was looking forward to continuing the trip east.
According to the Vandalia Leader account, “Relatives from Paris arrived to take possession of a Swiss watch from Tiffany’s, a diamond bracelet with 44 diamonds, rings, necklaces and a small amount of cash.”
I was 4 years old and lived a block away from the crash site. I remember I was playing in our attic. It sounded like a big ball hit the roof of our house (a 4 year old’s impression). I remember running down to the site of the crash with my sisters. It was such a sad occasion. To this day, I have no desire to fly and I always attribute that to having witnessed this plane crash.
I also remember the plane crash. I was 11 years old and was taking the trash out to the trash can. I heard a loud noise above and saw the plane decending with only 1 wing and then a loud crash which was 2 blocks from my house. I rushed to the scene and was one of the first ones there. A few minutes later the police and fire trucks arrived. A horrible sight that I will never forget.
Just came across this account of the tragic crash in Vandalia and wanted to relate my family’s unique connection with Jim & Betty Filor’s family. The account is fascinating to me since as a child I was more or less protected from the details of the accident. All I learned was that the man after whom I was named was my father’s closest friend as was Betty Filor my mother’s closest friend, and had died in a plane crash. Close friends indeed; Mom & Betty had spent time together in adjoining rooms in the same maternity ward in the same hospital each giving birth to sons.
The name “Ross Filor Sibley” is incorrect in the account as my first & middle names were taken directly from Jim Filor. The Filor’s son “Rossie” was in fact named Ross Lintern Filor, Ross Lintern being my father’s first and middle names. The other son who died in the crash was named James Nichols Filor, his middle name being Betty Filor’s maiden name.
At some point, Jim Filor gave my parents a very large Empire console table W.B. Thompson had brought back on ALDER from Russia around the time of the Revolution. The story was that Jim said it would be out of place at his Yolo ranch. We still have the table.
After the accident, two of Betty’s relatives in Oregon, possibly Betty’s sisters, sent Mom & Dad Jim’s Tiffany silver baby cup inscribed “James Reick Filor”, Jim’s Eagle Grade Francotte 16 ga. shotgun and his Selmer clarinet… all of which we still have. I only knew of these relatives as Aunt Floss & Aunt Edith.
I have a photo, taken at Beech’s Wichita factory, of Jim & Dad standing in front of Jim’s shiny new Beech Bonanza… the plane that Jim, Betty, Rossie & Nicky were lost in. Jim, pilot and Dad, co-pilot flew the plane on its maiden voyage to Jim’s Yolo ranch (or possibly it was Jim’s family’s ranch) near Prescott.
My mother, who just died last year at 97, wore the same double blue amethyst ring for the rest of her life that Betty was wearing when she died. The ring survived the crash seemingly intact. However, if you look very closely at the two stones you will see they carry a recording, They are internally shattered. Mom referred to it as Betty’s ring and perhaps felt it was only loaned to her for a time.
i apologize for this rambling account but hopefully someone will see it who has some connection with Jim and Betty’s family or possibly one of W.B. Thompson’s decedents. I just wanted to fill in some details of our two family’s histories. If anyone can tell me where the Filors are buried, I’d like to pay Uncle Jim, Aunt Betty, Nicky & Rossie a visit. We’ve never met.
Thanks so much. I’ve corrected the story with the names you provided. Would love to see the pictures. Will look for the burial site.
Do you know if Jim Filor had any brothers or sisters or if there are any Filor relations still alive who remember Jim & Betty?
Thanks & best regards.
The funeral for the Filor family was held in St. Louis two days after the crash. Their remains were taken to Elizabeth’s home town of Baker, OR (Baker City today) and interred in Mount Hope cemetery, Old Masonic section, plot 215. Jimmy Filor had two older sisters, Mabel Ann and Gertrude.
Edith Nichols, a widow at the time of the crash, was Elizabeth Filor’s mother.
Do you have the registration number of Jimmy Filor’s Bonanza? I would love to see the picture of your dad and the plane. I was at the crash site in 1951, hence my interest.