Quonset Point Naval Air Station – February 9, 1961
S2F Tracker
U. S. Navy Photo
On February 9, 1961, two navy S2F Tracker aircraft were in the process of breaking formation to enter a landing pattern at 1,000 feet above the Quonset Point Naval Air Station when they were involved in a mid-air collision. One of the planes made a crash-landing on a snow covered field at Harborview Farm off Fletcher Road in North Kingstown, about a mile from the navy base.
There were two men aboard the aircraft, one of whom suffered a compound fracture of the right thigh. He was transported to the Quonset Naval Hospital by a passing motorist, and later transferred to the Newport Naval Hospital.
The other aircraft crash-landed in the snow just to the side of the Quonset runway. There were two men aboard this aircraft. One received a broken ankle, the other cuts and a sprained ankle.
A navy spokesman announced to the press that the results of their investigation into the accident would not be made public.
Source:
Evening Bulletin, “Navy To query Airmen Involved In 2-Plane Crash Over Quonset”, February 19, 1961, Pg. 10.
