Brainard Airport, CT. – May 9, 1930

Brainard Airport, Connecticut – May 9, 1930

     At 6 P.M. on the evening of May 9, 1930, a Lewis H. Taylor (55), and Milton H. Moore (30), were flying in a small airplane over Brainard Field in Connecticut.  Taylor was a former Captain who’d served in the U. S. Air Service during WWI.  Moore was the general manager for Interstate Airways (Connecticut) at Brainard Field.  Taylor had been taking flying lessons from Moore.

     As the aircraft was passing over the hangars the motor suddenly stopped.  An attempt was made to turn the aircraft to make an emergency landing but it was unsuccessful, and the plane crashed and exploded in flames.  Both men perished. 

     The accident was witnessed by Moore’s wife. 

     Chief Inspector George Pranaitis of the Connecticut Department of Aeronautics stated the cause of the accident was due to a faulty magneto. 

     In June of 1930 it was announced that Mrs. Moore would succeed her husband as general manager of Interstate Airways. 

     Sources:

     New Britain Herald, “Two Aviators Die In Brainard Crash”, May 10, 1939.

     The Evening Star (Washington D.C.), “Motor Is Blamed For Fatal Crash”, May 10, 1930, p. A-2.

     New Britain Herald, “Aviators Widow Takes Airways Management”, June 4, 1930, p.3. 

Brainard Field, CT. – October 13, 1967

Brainard Field, Hartford, Connecticut – October 13, 1967

     On the afternoon of October 13, 1967, a mechanic was “pulling through” the propeller of a two-seater Aeronca, (N1318V), that belonged to the Connecticut Civil Air Patrol, when the motor abruptly started.  At the time, the throttle had been set to “full”, the aircraft wasn’t tied down, and there was nobody in the cockpit.  The Aeronca then began moving across the field on its own, with the mechanic clinging to the struts in a vain attempt to stop it.     

     The Aeronca swiped the side of an unoccupied Cessna which caused the mechanic to lose his grip and fall away, injuring himself in the process.  After striking the Cessna, the Aeronca spun around and drove into a second unoccupied Cessna parked nearby.  After that collision, it continued on at full speed until it crashed into he side of an unoccupied Piper, (N3858P), and the engine stalled. 

     Authorities were thankful that the aircraft hadn’t become airborne.

     Sources:

     The Hartford Courant, “Plane Takes Wild Spin On Ground”, October 14, 1967, (With photo of accident.)

     National Transportation Safety Board Report, NYC68DO235

 

Connecticut River – September 26, 1966

Connecticut River – September 26, 1966

     At 7: 30 p.m. on September 26, 1966, a Piper Cherokee with six young men aboard took off from Brainard Field in Hartford, Connecticut.  All were between the ages of 19 and 23, and all were students at Trinity College in Hartford.  Shortly after takeoff the aircraft lost power and plunged into the Connecticut River and sank.  All six men were able to escape, but one had reportedly suffered a head injury in the crash. As the group was swimming towards shore, the man with the head injury slipped beneath the water and was swept away by the current.  

     Source:

     The Hartford Courant, “Plane Engine Runs After River plunge”, September 28, 1966

Brainard Field, CT. – January 31, 1970

Brainard Field, Hartford, Connecticut – January 31, 1970

     On January 31, 1970, two single-engine private aircraft collided in mid-air over Brainard Air Field in Hartford.  Each plane, one a Piper Cherokee, the other a Piper Arrow, carried two people; all four were killed in the accident.  

     The Cherokee, containing a pilot-instructor and his student, fell into the Connecticut River, while the Arrow, containing two men from Ridgefield, Ct., crashed into a wooded section of the neighboring town of East Hartford.  It was not stated who was piloting either aircraft.

     According to witness reports, one aircraft was approaching from the south while the other from the west, each at an altitude of about 2,000 feet.  Then both went into a banking turn at the same time and collided at a 45 degree angle directly over the field.  It was not specified which plane struck the other.    

     Source:

     Providence Journal, “Four Die In Collision Of Two Light Planes”, February 1, 1970. (With photo)

Return to Top ▲Return to Top ▲