Granville, Massachusetts – October 19, 1954
T-33 Shooting Star – U. S. Air Force Photo
On October 19, 1954, a Massachusetts National Guard T-33 trainer jet with two men aboard took off from Barnes Field in Westfield, Massachusetts, for a routine training flight. After flying for about 15 minutes the plane developed engine trouble. The aircraft was over a populated area and the men knew that if they bailed out the jet could caused injuries or fatalities to civilians on the ground. Therefore, both men opted to stay with the aircraft and guide it over a rural area. The jet crashed into a wooded hillside in the rural town of Granville and both men were killed.
The National Guard members were identified as:
Lieutenant Richard G. Brown, 38, of Northampton, Mass.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/234043596/richard-george-brown
Tec/Sergt. Austin A. Cooper, 28, of West Springfield, Mass.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44783238/austin-atherton-cooper
Both men were assigned to the 131st Fighter Squadron based in Westfield, Mass.
Source:
Evening Bulletin, (RI), “2 Mass. Guardsmen Die In Jet Crash”, October 20, 1954, pg. 51.
