Stasys Girėnas

From Freepedia

Stasys Girėnas (born Stasys Girskis October 4, 1893 in Vytogala; died July 17, 1933) was a Lithuanian-American pilot.

Born in Vytogala, Raseiniai District, emigrated to the USA with his family in 1910. He became a mechanic there. During World War I, in 1917 he joined the United States Army. In 1919, after retiring from Army, he learned to fly, In 1925 he was injured in an air crash, but he continued flying and working in a civil aviation.

On July 15, 1933, he along with Steponas Darius, attempted a nonstop flight from New York City, USA to Kaunas, Lithuania - a total of 7,186 km, in Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker airplane named "Lituanica". After succesfull crossing of the Atlantic Ocean and 37 hours, 11 minutes of nonstop flight, they crashed on July 17, 0:36 AM (Berlin Time) in Kuhdamm village, near Soldin, Germany (now Pszczelnik, Mysliborz area, Poland) due to difficult weather conditions combined with engine defects. Both aviators were killed in the crash. They covered a distance of 3,984 miles (6,411 kilometers) without landing, only 650 km short of their final destination.

See Darius and Girenas for complete information.