New England Aviation History

Coventry, Rhode Island – July 9, 1942 On the afternoon of July 9, 1942, three young men took off in a 3-seat monoplane belinging to Southern New England Airplines for what was described in the press as a “joyride”.

On the morning of February 26, 1939, what was reported to be the first known “camera plane” took off from Hillsgrove Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island – February 4, 1954 Shortly after 2 p.m. on the afternoon of February 4, 1954, navy Lieutenant Elmer O Johnson, (36), was piloting a Grumman Panther jet over Narragansett Bay approaching to land at the Quonset Point Naval Air…

South Kingstown, Rhode Island – April 10, 1954 At about 4 p. m. on the afternoon of April 10, 1954, a two-seat Aeronca airplane was approaching a grassy landing strip located on a potato farm in the western portion of town.

Dighton, Massachusetts – September 22, 1946 A 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of September 22, 1946, a small two-seat airplane took off from King Airfield in Dighton, and crashed shortly after becoming airborne.

Washington, New Hampshire – December 6, 1959 At 4:50 p.m. on December 6, 1959, three men took off from Grenier Air Force Base in a civilian twin-engine Piper Apache for what was to be a half-hour flight.

Point Judith, Rhode Island – June 30, 1959 On the evening of June 30, 1959, a navy pilot was flying an F2H Banshee fighter jet over Narragansett Bay when the aircraft cockpit suddenly caught fire.

Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island – October 18, 1960 At about 10 a.m. on the morning of October 18, 1960, a T2J-1 navy training jet with two men aboard was making a landing approach at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station when the engine suddenly flamed out.

Quonset Point, NAS – December 18, 1960 On December 18, 1960, a lone navy pilot took off from Corpus Christi, Texas, in a AD-6 Skyraider (bu.

Griswold, Conncticut – July 1, 1962 On July 1, 1962, four men took off in a light plane from the Pachaug Airport in Griswold.

Atlantic Ocean, off Rhode Island – June 27, 1969 In the early morning hours of June 27, 1969, a navy helicopter with four crewmen aboard took off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station to take part in anti-submarine training exercises about 72 miles sou…

New Bedford, Massachusetts – July 25, 1967 On July 25, 1967, a lone 61-year-old pilot took off in a twin-engine airplane from the New Bedford Airport bound for Beverly, Massachusetts.

Seekonk River, Rhode Island – March 23, 1962 On March 23, 1962, a 40-year-old pilot from Massachusetts was flying a single-engine airplane from Connecticut to South Weymouth, Massachusetts, when he ran out of fuel over the Providence, R.

Coventry, Rhode Island – September 8, 1963 On September 8, 1963, the Civil Air Patrol was conducting a training exercise at the RICONN Airport in Western Coventry near the state line.

Hopkinton, Rhode Island – June 2, 1963 On June 2, 1963, a Hopkinton man was testing his home-built gryocopter in a field on Maxson Hill Raod when it crashed.

Prudence Island, Portsmouth, Rhode Island On April 9, 1964, two men rented a small aircraft at Hillsgrove Airport in Warwick to fly to Prudence Island.

South Attleboro, Massachusetts – May 26, 1963 At 3:10 p.m. on May 26, 1963 a lone pilot took off in a single engine monoplane from the Woonsocket (R.I.)

West Greenwich, Rhode Island – May 7, 1966 At 4 p.m. on the afternoon of May 7, 1966, a husband and wife took off from Green State Airport in Warwick, R.

Hancock, Massachusetts – May 2, 1971 On the afternoon of May 2, 1971, two Rhode Island men took off from Greenfield, New York, in a Piper PA-18 airplane bound for Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Revere, Massachusetts – September 3, 1932 On September 3, 1932, a 24-year-old pilot from Chelsea, Mass., and his 25-year-old student were critically injured when their small plane crashed while landing at the Revere Airport.

Warwick, Rhode Island – November 10, 1942 On the morning of November 10, 1942, a U.S.

Foster, Rhode Island – April 8, 1975 On April 8, 1975, a 53-year-old man from Orange, Massachusetts, was piloting a small single-engine airplane over the Foster area when it was seen to crash and burn in a thickly wooded section off Rams Tail Road near Ce…

North Kingstown, Rhode Island – July 12, 1981 On the morning of July 12, 1981, a 52-year-old Rhode Island man took off from the Quonset Point State Airport in a homemade aircraft that he’d build himself.

Cranston, Rhode Island – March 13, 1938 On the afternoon of March 13, 1938, a lone pilot from Brooklyn, N.Y. took off from East Boston Airport in a single-engine cabin monoplane bound for Floyd Bennett Field in New York.

Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island On the evening of January 14, 1978, Navy Lieutenant Commander James Lee Martin, 32, took off from Jacksonville, Florida, in a single-engine Temco GC-1B airplane, (Reg.

Pawtucket, Rhode Island – January 9, 1930 On January 9, 1930, three men borded a Challenger biplane at Pawtucket’s What Cheer Airport bound for Florida.

Atlantic Ocean – March 29, 1967 On March 29, 1967, the aircraft carrier USS Essex was crusing about 70 miles south-east of Rhode Island taking part in training exercises.

Quonset Point, Rhode Island – February 9, 1967 On February 9, 1967, what was described in the press as a “twin-engine propeller-driven Navy plane” took off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station for a routine training flight.

Smithfield, Rhode Island – July 12, 1938 On the afternoon of July 12, 1938, a pilot was giving a father and his 18-year-old daughter a ride in a bi-plane at the Smithfield Airport.

Smithfield, Rhode Island – July 24, 1946 On July 24, 1946, a 36-year-old student pilot from Cranston was attempting to land a Fairchild low-wing monoplane at the Smithfield Airport when the motor failed and he crash-landed into an apple orchard adjacent to

Marlboro, New Hampshire – September 1, 1967 On the morning of September 1, 1967, a 49-year-old pilot was killed when his single-engine Maule Rocket airplane crashed into a tree while attempting to make an emergency landing in a field in Marlboro.

Block Island, Rhode Island – July 4, 1967 Just before 5 p.m. on the evening of July 4, 1967, three Connecticut men attempted to take off from the Block Island Airport in a Piper Tri-Pacer when the plane crashed into an embankment on Central Road just oppo…

Block Island, Rhode Island – August 6, 1969 On the night of August 6, 1969, three people took off in a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza from the Block Island Airport.

Woodbury, Connecticut – December 18, 1969 On the evening of December 18, 1969, a 38-year-old New Jersey man took off from Nashua, New Hampshire, in a Cessna 150 (Reg.

Searsport, Maine – July 2, 1967 On July 2, 1967, a Republic RC-3 Seabee (Reg.

Long Island Sound – May 28, 1967 On the evening of May 29, 1967, a 20-year-old pilot rented a light single-engine plane at Brainard Field in Hartford, Connecticut, so that he could give pleasure flights to friends.

Westminster, Vermont – November 27, 1969 On the night of November 27, 1969, a 1947 Piper Aeronica with two young men aboard was attempting to land on a farm in Westminster when a wingtip caught in a tree which flipped the plane over causing it to crash in…

Fall River, Massachusetts – June 1, 1969 Shortly before 8 p.m. four friends were in the process of taking off from the Fall River Airport in a Lark Commander airplane bound for Martha’s Vineyard.

Coventry, Rhode Island – May 30, 1969 On May 30, 1969, two men from Long Island, New York, were flying in a two-seat Cessna aircraft bound for T.F.

Mendon, Massachusetts – May 18, 1967 On May 18, 1967, a Piper Cherokee with four men aboard crashed in a wooded area just after taking off from the Hopedale Airport.

Woodstock, Connecticut – July 6, 1967 At about 1 p.m. on July 6, 1967, a small aircraft with four people aboard crashed on takeoff from the Woodstock Airport.

Passamadumkeag Mountain, Maine – December 10, 1969 On December 13, 1969, a Piper Aztec (N5090Y) with three men aboard took off from Old Town, Maine, bound for Portland, Maine.

Haystack Mountain, Wilmington, Vermont September 27, 1965 On September 27, 1965, a husband and wife took off from Rochester, New Hampshire, in a rented Cessna, bound for Hartford, Connecticut.

Greenville, Maine – August 5, 1969 On August 5, 1969, a small amphibian plane with three people aboard crashed near the west branch of the Penobscot River as it was circling to land.

Yarmouth, Massachusetts – August 3, 1967 In the early morning hours of August 3, 1967, a small plane with two people aboard crashed and burned in a wooded area about .2 of a mile from Route 28, and about two miles from the Barnstable Municipal Airport in…

North Providence, Rhode Island – June 30, 1946 On the afternoon of June 30, 1946, a lone pilot took off from the Smithfield Airport and flew towards North Providence, where the plane developed engine trouble and the pilot was forced to make an emergency l…

Middleboro, Massachusetts – September 19, 1935 On the evening of September 19, 1935, a 27-year-old man took off from the Smithfield, Rhode Island, Airport in an open biplane for a round trip flight to Boston.

Smithfield, Rhode Island – May 30,1 937 On May 30, 1937, a bi-plane with a lone pilot aboard was taking off from the Smithfield Airport when according to witnesses “something went wrong with the landing gear” as the plane left the ground.

Smithfield, Rhode Island – March 27, 1938 On Shortly before 5 p.m. on March 27, 1938, a four-seat Waco cabin plane with four men aboard was attempting to take off from the Smithfield Airport.

Smithfield, Rhode Island – May 28, 1934 On the morning of May 28, 1934, Herman Dolbeck, 40, of Woonsocket, arrived at the Smithfield Airport in his Eaglet monoplane to give flying lessons to 19-year-old Ralph Wilkins of North Smithfield.