Though fatalities were uncommon, crashes occurred more often. As one cadet recalled, “It was strange how quickly the victim of a plane crash would be identified. I recall one time a plane spun in and banged into the ground in a cloud of dust and the word flashed among the rest of us that it was McMichael. His own group watching their plane spread the word. The plane hit no more than about 200 yards from the flight line, where we were all assembled awaiting our own turns to fly. Only certain people were designated to approach a crash. They made a beeline for the scene in motorcycles. About the time they reached the crumpled plane we saw a figure emerge from the wreckage and loud and clear we all heard ole Mac cussing a blue streak—a happy sound. He became a good pilot incidentally. The rule after a crash was to put a man right back in a plane. It seemed to work.”