Stonington, Connecticut – January 2, 1956
On January 2, 1956, a 35-year-old pilot rented a single-engine Luscombe airplane at the Groton Airport and flew it to North Central Airport in Smithfield, Rhode Island, with his wife and daughter aboard. From there he intended to fly to Newport, but changed his mind when he learned that the weather would not be favorable. He then took off to return to Groton.
While passing over the Stonington area at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the plane suddenly began to shake and vibrate before the propeller abruptly fell away.
The pilot attempted to glide to an open field to make an emergency landing but hit some telephone lines which sent him crashing into a stone wall and fence.
The crash occurred in a field off Taugwonk Road, about a quarter mile south of Route 84. None of the occupants were injured.
Source:
Evening Bulletin, (RI), “3 Uninjured In Stonington Plane Crash”, January 3, 1956, pg. 1.
