from author and historian Jim Ignasher
Block Island, Rhode Island – July 4, 1967
Just before 5 p.m. on the evening of July 4, 1967, three Connecticut men attempted to take off from the Block Island Airport in a Piper Tri-Pacer when the plane crashed into an embankment on Central Road just opposite the airport. The plane was wrecked and all three were seriously injured. They were transported to Westerly Hospital in an ambulance airplane.
Source:
Evening Bulletin, “Block Island Plane Crash Cause Sought”, July 5, 1967, Pg. 28
Block Island, Rhode Island – August 6, 1969
On the night of August 6, 1969, three people took off in a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza from the Block Island Airport. Just after taking off, the plane crashed near Dodge’s Sandpit on Old Mill Road, about a mile west of the airport. One person was killed, and the other two received severe injuries.
It was reported that the plane had arrived earlier in the day, and that the engine had been serviced before it took off. The exact nature of the work was not specified.
Source:
Evening Bulletin, “Block Is. Plane crash Kills One, Injures 2”, August 7, 1969, Pg. 1.
Evening Bulletin, “Probe Of fatal Plane crash Begins On Block Island”, August 8, 1969, Pg. 13.
Block Island, Rhode Island – July 8, 1956
Shortly after 10:00 a.m. on the morning of July 8, 1956, three men took off from the Block Island Airport in a Piper Super Cruiser bound for Windham, Connecticut. As the plane approached the Old Harbor area it encountered a thick fog bank dropping visibility to zero. According to witnesses, the plane came out of the fog and nearly crashed into the top of the Surf Hotel before sailing out over the harbor. At that point the pilot made a sharp turn in an attempt to return to the airport, but as he did so the plane fell left wing first and crashed into the water.
All three men escaped the cabin and clung to the wreckage until it sank three minutes later. They then swam to shore without assistance. Each had suffered minor bruises but did not require medical attention.
Later on several young men swam out to the plane which had settled in 20 feet of water. After securing lines to the fuselage, it was towed to shore.
Source:
Providence Journal, “3 Swim Ashore After Block I. Plane Crash”, July 9, 1956, pg. 5.
Block Island, Rhode Island – July 5, 1950
On July 5, 1950, two men took off from the Block Island Airport in a Piper Cub airplane for a sightseeing trip around the island. According to witnesses, as the plane was returning to the airport, it made a turn in preparation of landing, and while doing so it lost airspeed and dove to the ground. The plane came down about 100 feet to the east of the airport. Both men were critically injured, and were transported to the mainland in a navy PBY aircraft sent over from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station.
Source:
Evening Bulletin, (RI), “Plane Crash Injures 2 Men”, July 5, 1950, pg. 34.
Block Island, Rhode Island – July 15, 1950
At 9:15 p.m. on July 15, 1950, a small plane with four men aboard overshot the runway at Block Island Airport while attempting to land. The plane broke through a wire fence and went over a steep embankment where it crashed at the bottom. Three of the four men aboard suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Damage to the plane was estimated at $3,000.
It was noted in the press that “The accident followed dedicatory ceremonies at the airport by hours.”
Source:
Providence Sunday Journal, “Three Are Hurt In Plane Crash”, July 16, 1950, pg. 38.
Block Island, Rhode Island – July 22, 1957
On July 21, 1957, four men took off from the Woonsocket Airport in a 1946 Stinson 150 bound for Block Island, where they intended to spend the day, have dinner, and then fly home. At 1:05 a.m. on the morning of July 22, the men took off from Block Island Airport for the return trip. Shortly after becoming airborne the plane suddenly crashed in a thick brushy area about three miles from the airport and burst into flames. All aboard perished.
The men were from Cumberland, R. I., Blackstone, Ma., North Smithfield, R. I. and Milford, Ma. All had been long time friends.
Visibility at the time of the accident was hindered by darkness and patches of thick fog.
The cause of the accident is unknown.
Sources:
Woonsocket Call, “Four Men Killed In City Plane Crash On Block Island”, July 22, 1957, pg.1.
Woonsocket Call, “Last Man To See Quartet Alive Tells Of Takeoff, Crash, Flames”, July 22, 1957, pg. 1.
Woonsocket Call, “Pilots Gather At Airport Here, Stunned By Block I. Tragedy”, July 22, 1957, pg. 2.
Off Block Island – March 13, 1987
On March 13, 1987, a single engine Cessna P21, (Reg. No. N6434A), with a lone pilot aboard, left Hyannis, Massachusetts, bound for East Hampton, New York, and ultimately to New Bern, North Carolina, but disappeared in-route. Officials said the aircraft had been flying at 16,000 feet over water between Block Island and Long Island on IFR rules when its radar signal was lost. A search was instituted but only a piece of the plane’s antenna was recovered.
At about 3 p.m. on March 19, the fishing boat Heidi & Kristi was dragging its nets for flounder about four miles northeast of Block Island when the fuselage of the missing plane was snagged in its nets and brought to the surface. The pilot was still inside.
Sources:
The Providence Journal, “Boat Hauls Up Plane, Dead Pilot”, March 20, 1987, page A-3.
Aviation Safety Network
Atlantic Ocean – December 28, 1991
10.6 miles east-north-east of Block island, R. I.
On the night of December 28, 1991, three pilots were aboard a twin-engine Beechcraft 1900C, (Reg. N811BE), conducting flight training over the Atlantic Ocean about ten miles east-north-east of Block Island. One of the pilots was an instructor, and all were employed by Business Express Airlines in Connecticut. At some point during the exercise the aircraft crashed into the water and broke apart. The following morning a lobster boat out of Block Island came upon floating wreckage, which included a 30-foot wing section, and notified the Coast Guard.
The plane had left Bridgeport, Connecticut, at 6:46 p.m. All of the pilots were experienced, and two were undergoing training to be upgraded from first officer to captain. The accident had occurred while the aircraft was making practice approaches to Block Island Airport. Before the crash, the aircraft had made three successful approaches and landings.
The cockpit voice recorder was later recovered in 130 feet of water.
As of January 21, 1992, no bodies had been recovered.
Sources:
Providence Journal, “Wind, Waves Hamper Search For Pilots Of Missing Off Block Island”, December 31, 1991, page B-3
Providence Journal, “Cockpit Tape Of Downed Plane Is Examined”, January 21, 1992, page E-5
Aviation Safety Network
Block Island Sound – November 28, 1989
On the night of November 28, 1989, a New England Airlines twin-engine, Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander aircraft, (N127JL), left Block Island Airport with a pilot, seven passengers, and two dogs aboard bound for Westerly Airport in Westerly, R. I. The night was dark and moonless, and the aircraft would be flying beneath a layer of cloud cover.
The flight left Block Island around 6:20 p.m. but never made it to Westerly. The 17 mile flight was expected to take about 15 minutes. When it failed to arrive it was declared “missing” and a search and rescue operation was instituted. Coast Guard boats and military aircraft from southern New England converged on the area between Block island and the main land, and ground crews searched the shoreline. Private fishing boats and aircraft also joined the search.
By the following day several items believed to have come from the missing plane were found washed up on Block Island beaches. More debris was found over the next few hours, and the bodies of the two dogs aboard were recovered by the Coast Guard. Indications were that the plane had broken apart on impact.
A few days later a Rhode Island fishing boat hauled up aircraft debris in a net and notified authorities. Underwater sonar located three major portions of the aircraft’s wreckage on the ocean floor in 110 feet of water about 4 miles northwest of Block Island. The wreckage was examined using remote-controlled underwater cameras. Portions of the wreckage were recovered and brought to Quonset Point for examination.
By April, the remains of five of the eight people aboard the aircraft had been recovered. Two months later a six was discovered by a fishing boat. Two of the passengers were never found.
The cause of the crash was undetermined.
Sources:
Providence Journal, “Plane, 8 Aboard, Lost Off Westerly, Coast Guard”, November 29, 1989, page A-1
Providence Journal, “Block Islanders Stalk Beaches, Stunned By Another Tragedy”, November 29, 1989, page A-1
Providence Journal, “Debris, Bodies Of Dogs On Downed Plane Found”, November 29, 1989, page A-1
Providence Journal, “Search Ends For Missing Plane, No Hope Seen”, November 30, 1989, page A-1
Providence Journal, “Camera Probes Debris Of Plane On Ocean Floor”, December 20, 1989, page C-5
Providence Journal, “Crews To Raise More Debris From Block Island Plane”, January 3, 1990, page B-4
Providence Journal, “Bodies From Block I. Plane Crash Are Found”, February 16, 1990, page C-5
Providence Journal, “Search For Block I. Plane, 3 Victims Called Off”, May 8, 1990, page A-3
Providence Journal, “No Mechanical Failure In Block I. Plane Crash”, March 26, 1991, page A-1
Aviation Safety Network
Block Island, Rhode Island – June 28, 1987
At 1 p.m. on June 28, 1987, a single-engine aircraft with a lone pilot aboard took off from Block Island Airport in a Cessna Hawk bound for Westerly, R. I. Just after take off the engine lost all power and the plane went down in a brushy area about a half-mile from the airport. The pilot was not injured.
Source: Providence Journal, “No One Hurt In Block I. Plane Crash”, July 1, 1987, page A-11
Off Block Island, Rhode Island – June 7, 1943
U.S. Navy Wildcat Fighter
U.S. Navy Photo
On the afternoon of June 7, 1943, a flight of F4F Wildcat aircraft took off from the Quonset Point Naval Air Station for a formation training flight. The flight headed southward towards Block Island, which is three miles off the coast of Rhode Island. At about 5 p.m., the flight leader led the formation into the edge of a cloud formation. As the aircraft entered the clouds, the Wildcat being piloted by Ensign James Wilson Davis was observed by his wingman to suddenly roll over violently and go into a steep dive. The wingman followed downward, but pulled out of the dive at about 300 feet. Ensign Davis’s aircraft crashed into the sea and disappeared about a half-mile east of Block Island.
The navy serial number of Ensign Davis’s Wildcat was 12208.
The members of the flight were assigned to VF-16.
Source: U. S. Navy accident report, no. 43-7180, dated June 7, 1943.
Off Block Island – February 22, 1943
U.S. Navy Wildcat Fighter
U.S. Navy Photo
On the morning of February 22, 1943, a flight of navy F4F Wildcat fighters was taking part in a low altitude flight tactics training exercise off Block Island. One of the aircraft, (Bu. No. 12045), was piloted by Lt. (Jg.), Edward Enalius Bailey, (24), of Fighter Squadron 16, (VF-16), based at Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. As Lt. (Jg.) Bailey was making a simulated attack on two torpedo planes he suddenly crashed into the water about two miles off Block Island. Neither the pilot or his aircraft could be recovered.
Lt. Bailey entered service in December of 1940 and received his training at Pensacola Naval Air Base in Florida.
To see a photo of Lt. Bailey click on link below.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35108611/edward-emilius-bailey
Sources:
U. S. Navy report, #43-6049, dated February 22, 1943.
Unknown Newspaper, “Navy Searching For Plane Victim”, unknown date.
Block Island – November 7, 1942
U.S. Navy OS2U-2 Kingfisher
U.S. Navy Photo
On November 7, 1942, a U. S. Navy OS2U-3 Kingfisher airplane, (Bu. No. 09416), was forced to land at Block Island due to being low on fuel. Upon landing the aircraft flipped over and suffered heavy damage. The two-man crew was not injured.
Source:
U. S. Navy accident report #43-5762, dated November 7, 1942.
Block Island Sound – August 5, 1983
Updated March 16, 2019
On the evening of August 5, 1983, a four-seat, Piper Archer PA-28, (N6877J), owned by Yankee Airways, landed at Block Island Airport in Rhode Island, and discharged three passengers.
At about 8:30 p.m. the aircraft took off towards Connecticut with a lone 25-year-old female pilot aboard. A second aircraft owned by Yankee Airways left just afterwards and followed the first aircraft.
The destination of both aircraft had been Groton, Connecticut, but while in-route the pilots were informed that heavy fog and low clouds had settled in over the Groton area and both were advised to head for Elizabeth Airport at Fisher’s Island. (Fisher’s Island is located in Long Island Sound off the coast of Connecticut.)
As the two airplanes were making their way to Fisher’s Island, the first was observed to crash into the water and “cartwheel” before sinking. A search and rescue operation was instituted, but initially nothing was found, and the search was hampered by increasing fog. The following day the Coast Guard Cutter Cape Fairweather recovered two wheel assemblies from the aircraft floating in the water. Later that day the owner of a pleasure boat reported finding aircraft debris about five miles south of Fisher’s Island.
On August 8, the body of the missing pilot was recovered about one mile off Block Island.
The missing aircraft was found three years later on July 25, 1986, when the wreckage was snagged on a fishing net and hauled to the surface. The plane was located shortly after dawn off the northwest coast of Fisher’s Island near Hay Harbor.
Sources:
New London Day, “Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Pilot”, August 7, 1983, page A-1
The Sun, (Westerly, R.I.), Search For Pilot Of Downed Plane Halted”, August 7, 1983, page 8
The Sun, (Westerly, R.I.), “Pilot’s Body Found”, August 9, 1983, page 8.
Providence Evening Bulletin, “Body Of Woman Pilot Recovered From Block Island Sound”, August 9, 1983, page A-7
The Day, (New London, Ct.), “Plane Wreck Found”, July 25, 1986, page 1.
Off Block Island – March 8, 1982
On March 8, 1982, a lone pilot was ferrying a single-seat Cessna T188C, (#N9374J), from Virginia to Gander, Newfoundland.
At about 1:15 p.m., the pilot radioed the Federal Aviation Administration’s control center in Nashua, New Hampshire, that he was currently at 9,000 feet over the ocean off the New England coast and was having engine trouble. He was given a heading and directions to Block Island Airport, but a few minutes later he reported he was donning survival gear and preparing to make an emergency water landing. He gave his position as about six miles southeast of Block Island.
The plane went into the water and broke apart, but the pilot was able to extricate himself and climb atop one of the wings. There he remained for about a half-hour until the wing sank. He spent about another 90 minutes in the water before he was rescued by a passing fishing boat. He was then air-lifted from the boat by a Coast Guard helicopter and transported to Falmouth Hospital on Cape Cod where he was treated and released.
Sources:
The Providence Evening Bulletin, “Pilot Ditches Plane, Saved After 2 Hours”, March 9, 1982, page A-7
The Sun, (Westerly, RI), “Pilot Survives Ocean Crash”, March 9, 1982, page 14
Off Block Island – May 10, 1956
T-33 Trainer Jet
U.S. Air Force Photo
On May 10, 1956, a U. S. Air Force T-33 jet trainer took off from Suffolk County Air Force Base in Westhampton, Long Island, New York, for an instrument check flight. The pilot was Captain Howard M. Blanton, 32, of Baltimore, Maryland, and the observer was First Lieutenant William J. Reichard, 26, of Berwyn, Illinois.
The aircraft headed eastward out over the Atlantic Ocean. At some point the crew discovered that the radar compass wasn’t working properly, and that they were lost. They flew for a period of time until picked up by radar at Montauk Point, New York, and Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. By now the jet was running low on fuel, and being closer to Rhode Island, was given emergency clearance to land at Quonset.
At about 12:30 p.m. the T-33 ran out of fuel as it approached Block Island/New Shoreham, which is located three miles off the Rhode Island Coast. The crew ejected and the jet went into the water about a half-mile east of Block Island.
Both crewmen landed safely in the water several miles apart from each other and rescue craft were immediately dispatched to the area. Navy and Air Force helicopters found the men quickly due to the yellow dye markers each had carried, and directed surface vessels to their locations. Both men were still alive at this point, but the cold temperature of the water was sapping their strength.
A sling was lowered form the Quonset helicopter to Lt. Reichard who managed to grip on to it, but moments later he fell back into the water and became entangled in the cords of his parachute. He was retrieved by the crew of a Coast Guard boat, but wasn’t breathing when hauled aboard. The crew attempted to revive him with artificial respiration without success.
Meanwhile, another Coast Guard boat recovered Captain Blanton, and he too was not breathing. Attempts to revive him also failed.
Source:
Unknown newspaper, “Two Jet Pilots Die Off Block Island”, May 11, 1956
Block Island, Rhode Island – October 24, 1974
On the afternoon of October 24, 1974, a Cessna 180 seaplane was attempting to land at Block Island’s Old Harbor when the left wing dipped and caught the water causing the plane to capsize about 300 feet from shore. The lone pilot aboard was able to free himself from the submerged cockpit and was rescued a short time later by nearby boaters.
Sources:
(Providence) Evening Bulletin, “Seaplane Tips In Landing At Block Island”, October 25, 1974, page B-5
Westerly Sun, (R.I.), “Seaplane Pilot Rescued”, October 25, 1974, page 2
Block Island Airport – August 25, 1974
On August 25, 1975, three men, all members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, left Danbury, Connecticut, bound for Block Island, R.I., in a single-engine Beech Musketeer aircraft. They arrived at Block Island at about 2:00 p.m., and as the plane approached the runway of Block Island State Airport, the engine lost power and the plane crash landed 93 feet short of the runway. Two of the three men aboard suffered minor injuries.
This was the second aviation accident to occur in Rhode Island on this date. Another man was killed when his homemade plane crashed into the water off Deluca’s Beach in Narragansett, R.I. That accident is also posted on this website.
Source:
Westerly Sun, “Man Killed As Plane Crashes Off Scarborough State Beach”, August 26, 1974, Page 1.
Block Island, Rhode Island – August 26, 1995
Town of New Shoreham
On August 26, 1995, a Cessna 185 (N4944E) took off from East Hampton, Long Island, New York, bound for Block Island. The aircraft was a seaplane capable of water landings.
There were four people aboard, a 52-year-old pilot and three passengers in their 20s.
The plane arrived at Block Island shortly after 1 p.m. and attempted to land at Old Harbor Beach, touching down about 400 feet from shore and heading towards land. After traveling about 100 feet the pilot aborted due to rocks and swimmers in the area. The airplane leveled off at 15 feet and continued towards shore where it rose again to clear a building and some electrical wires. After clearing the first set of wires, the plane settled downward and caught a second set of wires. It then dove towards a restaurant known as G.R. Sharkey’s which also had an attached gas station. One of the aircraft’s pontoons slammed into a car occupied by a 79-yrear-old woman who was parked at the gas pumps, before crashing into the restaurant and bursting into flames. The woman and three people aboard the plane died at the scene. One male passenger aboard the aircraft managed to free himself from the wreckage, but later died of his injuries at Rhode Island Hospital.
Fortunately the restaurant was fairly empty at the time of the crash, and no patrons or employees were hurt.
This incident remains the worst aviation disaster to occur on Block Island.
Sources:
National Transportation Safety Board accident report brief – #NYC95FA203
New York Times, “Plane Hits Block Island Restaurant, Killing 5”, August 27, 1995
New York Times, “Small Town tries To Get Over Shattering Plane Crash”, August 28, 1995
New York Times, “Last 3 Victims Identified In seaplane Crash”, August 29, 1995
Block Island, R. I. – August 27, 1931
Very little information is available about this accident. On the afternoon of August 27, 1931, Evald Lundberg, a.k.a. Gottfred E. Lundberg, of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, was burned to death when his airplane crashed on Block Island after his engine failed.
For those that don’t know, Block Island is three miles off the coast of Rhode Island.
Source: New York Times, “Flier Dies In Block Island Crash”, August 28, 1931.
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