‘So you’re sticking to that story, are you?’

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‘That’s my story,’ said the pilot, ‘but I sure am ashamed of that navigation.’

Word of Corrigan’s daring flight quickly spread. The area around the American legation was swarming with reporters, photographers and newsreel cameramen by that evening. Congratulatory phone calls, telegrams and cablegrams started pouring in for the pilot–many from friends, but others from famous folk such as Henry Ford and Howard Hughes.

Corrigan met Eamon De Valera, Ireland’s prime minister, the next morning and told his story once again. When he got to the part about misreading the compass, everyone started laughing. ‘From then on everything was in my favor,’ Corrigan later wrote. ‘He came into this country without papers of any kind, why, we’ll just let him go back without any papers,’ said De Valera. Corrigan said,’Gee, Mr. De Valera, thanks a lot, and I’m sorry to have caused you so much bother.’ De Valera responded, ‘That’s all right, we’re glad to help you because the flight put Ireland on the map again.’

While he was waiting for officials to decide what to do next, Corrigan visited London, where he met American Ambassador Joseph Kennedy. Corrigan and Sunshine were later sent back to the United States on the liner Manhattan.

Although he could have faced any number of serious charges related to his flight, Corrigan’s great luck, his good nature and his implausible story carried the day. His pilot’s license was suspended until August 4–the day the ship arrived in New York. But that was the only action taken against him.

After all, no matter how many rules he had broken, ‘Wrong-Way’ Corrigan was a hero–and in America he was accorded a hero’s welcome. Corrigan grew reclusive as the years went by, but there were several reports in the late 1980s that he finally admitted to making his famous mistake intentionally. He died on December 9, 1995, at age 88.

This story originally appeared in the May 2001 issue of Aviation History and was written by Chris Fasolino. For more great articles subscribe to Aviation History magazine today!

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