Longmeadow, Massachusetts – October 1, 1927
On October 1, 1927, a plane carrying two men, William P. Thomas, and William B. Van Buren, took off from Dunn Field, in Longmeadow, Massachusetts for an instructional flight. Thomas was an experienced pilot with the 43rd Aero Squadron of the Connecticut National Guard, and Van Buren was a student pilot. For reasons not stated in the press, the aircraft crashed at the field, and Thomas was killed. Van Buren received possible fatal injuries.
No further details were given.
Dunn Field was a civil airport located along the banks of the Connecticut River in an area known as Longmeadow Flats. It was named for the original property owner.
Sources:
New York Times, “Plane Crash Kills Pilot”, October 2, 1927
The Yankee Flyer, Journal of the Massachusetts Aviation Historical Society, #35, Sept./Oct. 2003