On September 2, 1933, Italian aviator Francesco de Pinedo attempted to break the record for nonstop, long-distance flight by flying from New York to Baghdad. In his Bellanca monoplane, "Santa Lucia", de Pinedo rolled down the runway at Floyd Bennett Field overloaded with 1,000 gallons of fuel. Unable to lift off in time, the aircraft ran off the runway, flipped over, and caught on fire. Rescue workers were unable to reach de Pinedo in time and he died in the flames. (Source : Dover Publications, Inc.)