Hopedale, Massachusetts – July 26, 1980
On July 26, 1980, a single-engine Beechcraft with two men aboard left Quonset State Airport in Rhode Island bound for Hopedale Airport in Massachusetts to practice some takeoffs and landings. After the third takeoff at Hopedale, the aircraft rose to an altitude of 500 feet when the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot attempted a forced landing but was unsuccessful, and the plane came down in a wooded area off Mellen Street near Rt. 140. One wing was sheared off, but the fuselage remained intact, and there was no fire. Both men were able to extricate themselves and walk back to the airport.
Source:
Providence Sunday Journal, “Off-Duty R.I. Policemen Escape Injury In Mass. Airplane Crash”, July 27, 1980, Page A-10 (With photo of crash scene.)
