Burlington Airport History | New England Aviation History

Burlington, VT. – August 4, 1931

February 5, 2022

Burlington, Vermont – August 4, 1932

On August 4, 1931, a private airplane with two men aboard took off from Burlington Airport bound for Armond, New York. The men had been to an air meet at the Mississquoi Airport north of Burlington, and had spent the night in Burlington due to poor weather conditions.

As the plane took off, witnesses reported watching it climb to about 300 feet as it made a wide circle around the field, then go into a sudden dive, during which the left wing fell away. The plane crashed nose first in a swampy field ten feet from a highway. Both men were killed instantly.

The aircraft was described as “a reconstructed craft.”

Source:

Times Union, (Albany N.Y.), “Burlington Plane Crash Kills Two”, August 4, 1931.

Filed Under: Vermont - Civil Tagged With: Burlington Airport Crash, Burlington Airport History, Burlington International Airport History, Burlington Vermont Plane Crash

Burlington, VT. – November 26, 1943

February 5, 2022

Burlington, Vermont – November 26, 1943

U.S. Army A-29 Attack Bomber – U.S. Air Force Photo

This accident involved a military airplane manned by a civilian crew. The reason for a civilian crew is unclear.

On November 26, 1943, a twin-engine Lockheed RA-29 Army Air Force aircraft, (Ser. No. 41-23335), with three men aboard, took off from Boston for what was to be a test flight of the aircraft’s service ceiling. The aircraft climbed to 24,000 feet and maintained that altitude until the pilot reported that the port engine had lost all power and requested an emergency landing at Burlington Airport in Burlington, Vermont. The plane crashed and burned one mile from the runway at Burlington, and all aboard perished.

The crew were:

Pilot: Harry Babcock Brown, (31). He’s buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts.

Co-pilot: Harry T. Nordbeck. (Info unknown.)

Engineer: James Vaught Dotson, (29). He’s buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, Tenn.

Sources:

Book: “Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents In The United States, 1941-1945”, by Anthony J. Mireles, C. 2006.

www.findagrave.com

The Boston Globe, “Army Air Force Plane Crash”, November 26, 1943, pg. 19

Filed Under: Vermont - Military Tagged With: Burlington Airport Crash, Burlington Airport History, Burlington Airport Plane Crash, Harry Babcock Brown, Harry T. Nordbeck, James V. Dotson, Lockheed RA-29 Ser. No. 41-23335, New England WWII Plane Crash, Vermont WWII Plane Crash

South Burlington, VT. – February 11, 1976

August 30, 2018

South Burlington, Vermont – February 11, 1976

On February 11, 1976, a twin-engine Cessna 172K, (N79285), with four men aboard was attempting to land at Burlington International Airport during a snow storm when the plane crashed about 250 feet short of the runway. Three of the four were killed.

Source:

Providence Evening Bulletin, “3 killed In Plane Crash”, February 12, 1976, page B-1.

Aviation Safety Network, Wikibase #7001

Filed Under: Vermont - Civil Tagged With: Burlington Airport Accident, Burlington Airport Crash, Burlington Airport History, South Burlington Plane Crash