Notes:
The United States Navy airmen Lieut. Commander Noel Guy Davis, 35, and Lieut. Stanton Wooster, 32, had planned an attempt to fly the Atlantic Ocean no-stop from New York to Paris, trying to win the Orteig Prize. They met their death during a trial flight of their three-engine Keystone K-47 Pathfinder biplane, named "American Legion", in a crash in the Back River, near Hampton, Virginia, on Tuesday, 26 April 1927.

The Orteig Prize was a reward offered in 1919 by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly non-stop from New York City to Paris, either way. Famous aviators made unsuccessful attempts at the long distance flight, many lost their lives before the relatively unknown American Charles Lindbergh won the Orteig Prize of $25,000 in 1927, piloting his aircraft "Spirit of St. Louis".

Equipped with three Wright J-5 Whirlwind engines, rated at 220Hp each one in the nose and one on the upper surface of each lower wing, the Keystone K-47 Pathfinder was modified with several tanks totaling 1,500 gallons, five times the usual capacity, being nicknamed "flying fuel tank".

Attempting their last test with the plane at its maximum weight for the first time, with full load of fuel and supplies, Davis and Wooster succeeded in getting the heavily laden plane off the ground from the Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, near Newton News, Virginia. The results of the Langley field tests would have determined whether the transatlantic flight would be made.

When in the air, the giant biplane apparently developed engine trouble, made a turn then settled toward the earth for an emergency landing in the marshes that border the Back River. After going through the mud for about 125 feet, its tail lifted high in the air and flipped over and the center motor was torn from the mounting. Both airmen were trapped in the flooded cockpit which was submerged in mud and water.

It was reported that the forced landing would have been successful, if the heavy plane would had not taxied into a shallow marsh. The aircraft and its eight-ton burden rolled into the opposite bank of the river.

Officers from Langley Air Force Base who reached the wreckage a few minutes later, found that Davis had been crushed in the head, and Wooster had received a broken neck. Both men were still buckled in their seats.

Born in Nephi, Juab County, Utah, in 1891, Lieut. Commander Noel Guy Davis joined the United States Navy in 1914. He was assisted since September 1924 by Lt. Wooster in planning the Atlantic crossing. Both pilots supervised the construction of the Keystone Pathfinder biplane, at the Keystone Aircraft Corporationat in Bristol, Pennsylavania, and have made all of the test flights together.

Both deceased aviators were buried with full military honors, Lt. Comdr. Noel Davis was laid to rest in Saint John's Cemetery in Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida.

Noel David and Stanton Wooster - Library of Congress collection, public domain.

• 1900 United States Federal Census.
• 1910 United States Federal Census.
• U.S., Veterans Administration Master Index, 1917-1940.
• Newspaper The News Leader (Staunton, VA, United States), issue of Tuesday, 26 April 1927, page 1, article "Two Die As Plane Falls In Virginia", wire feed from Associated Press, retrieved by website https://www.newspapers.com/image/315785146/ .
• Newspaper The New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Wednesday, 27 April 1927, page 1, From a Staff Correspondent of The New York TImes, article "Davis and Wooster Killed In Crash As Big Plane Falls In Virginia Swamp; Flight Was Last Test For Ocean Hop".
• Newspaper The New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Wednesday, 27 April 1927, page 2, article "Airmen Pay Tribute To Crash Victims".
• Newspaper The New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Wednesday, 27 April 1927, page 3, article "Dead Fliers Ranked High In Air Service".
• Newspaper Stockton Independent (Stockton, CA, United States), issue of Wednesday, 27 April 1927, page 1, article "Davis, Wooster, Victims of Giant Biplane", wire feed from Associated Press, retrieved by website https://www.newspapers.com/image/607959906/ .
• Newspaper The Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA, United States), issue of Thursday, 28 April 1927, page 11, article "How 'American Legion's' Flight Ended", retrieved by website https://www.newspapers.com/image/615376938/ .
• Website Early Aviators, page https://www.earlyaviators.com/edavisno.htm .
• Website Together We Served, article "DAVIS, Noel, LCDR", page https://navy.togetherweserved.com/usn/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=526242 .
• Website Find-A-Grave: Noel Guy Davis.