Cranston, Rhode Island – February 19, 1973
On the evening of February 19, 1973, a 24-year-old pilot was operating a helicopter that was approaching T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, R. I., when his radio stopped working. Knowing that he couldn’t proceed without clearance from the control tower, he decided to set down in an open field behind a gas station on Pontiac Avenue in Cranston and use a phone to contact the tower. Someone who witnessed the landing misunderstood what was happening and called the police to report that a helicopter had crashed, leading to a strong response by the police and fire departments. The first arriving units encountered the pilot who stated his reason for the unscheduled landing.
After sorting the matter out, the pilot took off again with the police maintaining contact with the airport control tower, and the pilot landed at the airport ten minutes later.
Source:
Providence Journal, “Just Wanted To Use The Phone”, February 20, 1973, Pg. 26.
