Falmouth, Massachusetts – May 16, 1987
On the afternoon of May 16, 1987, a husband and wife took off from Hyannis Airport in a 1978 Piper Arrow III bound for New Haven, Connecticut. When the plane was about two miles south of Falmouth Harbor an oil seal in the propeller blew spraying the windshield with oil, after which the plane became hard to control. The couple radioed Otis Air National Guard base and declared an emergency, and were directed to attempt an emergency landing at Falmouth Airport even though it was currently closed for construction and repairs.
As the plane approached the closed airport a gasket blew in the engine compartment causing the plane to crash in a wooded area to the south of Cross Road near Mill Pond less than 200 yards from a residential area. Although the plane was completely wrecked, the couple survived with minor injuries.
Source:
The Falmouth Enterprise, “Oil Leak Is Cause Of Airplane Crash In East Falmouth”, May 18, 1987, page 3.
