from author and historian Jim Ignasher
The Connecticut Aircraft Company – Established 1914
Click on images to enlarge.
The Sun, (N.Y.) March 28, 1914, page 18
The Sun, March 28, 1914, page 18
The Sun, March 28, 1914, page 18
The Sun, May 2, 1914
The Sun, May 2, 1914
Click her to see article about the first U. S. Navy Airship built by the Connecticut Aircraft Company
The Daily Star-Mirror, December 12, 1916
Click here for article about 1916 Navy Dirigible
Bridgeport Times, September 1, 1921, page 1
Groton, Connecticut – June 12, 1945
SB2C Helldiver
U.S. Navy Photo
On June 12, 1945, a navy SB2C Helldiver, (Bu. No. 20916), was landing at Groton Field in strong gusty winds when the aircraft ground-looped at high speed, causing major damage to the aircraft. Neither the pilot or the gunner aboard were injured.
Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated June 12, 1945
Windham, Connecticut – April 13, 1944
TBF-1 Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo
On the morning of April 13, 1944, a navy TBF-1 Avenger, (Bu. No. 24124), landed short of the left side of the runway at the Windham Air Field. The left wing dragged and the plane went off the runway where it went into some soft dirt and was thrown over onto its right wing. The aircraft was damaged, but there were no injuries.
Source:
U. S. Navy accident report #44-13163, dated April 13, 1944.
Greenwich, Connecticut – July 21, 1945
North American Texan Military Trainer
Author Photo
At about 3:30 p.m., on the afternoon of July 21, 1945, a navy SNJ-5 Texan trainer aircraft, (Bu. No. 90720), with two men aboard left the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island for a training flight over Connecticut. About an hour later, while over Greenwich, Connecticut, the aircraft experienced problems with the engine’s fuel flow and began losing altitude. The pilot made a crash-landing on a golf course. The crew suffered non-life-threatening-injuries and the aircraft was heavily damaged.
Source:
U. S. Navy accident report dated July 21, 1945.
Groton, Connecticut – May 9, 1944
TBM-3E Avenger
U. S. Navy Photo
On May 9, 1944, a TBM-1C Avenger, (Bu. No. 45503), took off from Groton Field with a three-man crew aboard. After climbing to an altitude of 500 feet the engine suddenly backfired and quit. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, and the plane crashed in a wooded area of the Noank section of Groton. The crew escaped with non-life-threatening injuries – the aircraft was consumed by fire.
Source:
U. S. Navy accident report dated May 9, 1944.
North Stonington, Connecticut – December 5, 1945
F8F Bearcat
U. S. Navy Photo
Shortly after 9:30 a.m. on the morning of December 5, 1945, an F8F-1 Bearcat, (Bu. No. 94867), left the Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island for a familiarization training flight.
About fifteen to twenty minutes later, while at 2,000 feet over the area of North Stonington, the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot tried to restart the engine but was unsuccessful, and his only option was to make an emergency landing. Seeing an open field, he aimed for it and made a wheels-up landing in an area of North Stonington known as Pendleton Hill. Unfortunately the field was littered with rocks and boulders of various sizes, and upon landing, the aircraft struck some of them causing serious damage to the fuselage and for the aircraft to catch fire. The pilot was able to extricate himself as the plane began to burn, and made his way to a nearby house where he asked to use the telephone.
Sources:
U. S. Navy accident report dated December 5, 1945
Westerly Sun, “Pilot Escapes Pendleton Hill Plane Crash”, December 6, 1945, courtesy Westerly Public Library
New Milford, Connecticut – March 1, 1944
F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo
At about 2 p.m. on the afternoon of March 1, 1944, Chance-Vought (Aircraft) civilian test pilot, Willard B. Boothby, was flying a navy F4U-1 Corsair, (Bu. No. 49882), over western Connecticut when the aircraft developed an on-board fire. Boothby was forced to bail out as the aircraft went down in the Still River section of the town of New Milford, where it struck a private home on Rt. 7 and exploded. The aircraft and home were destroyed, but the home was unoccupied at the time, and there were no injuries on the ground.
Meanwhile, the parachute malfunctioned, and the pilot came down in a wooded area on Corman Hill and was killed instantly. At the time of the accident, strong winds were blowing, and police speculated that the lines became tangled.
The aircraft had been accepted by the Navy only six days earlier on February 23rd, and was at the Chance-Vought plant for experimental purposes.
Mr. Boothby began his flying career while a student at Purdue University, and became a test pilot for Chance-Voight in 1941. He’s buried in Saccarappa Cemetery in Westbrook, Maine. He was survived by his wife and son.
Sources:
U. S. Navy accident report dated March 1, 1944
Unknown Newspaper, “Willard Boothby, Test Pilot For Chance-Vought, Plane On Fire, Bales Out, And Instantly Killed”, March 2, 1944 – courtesy of the New Milford Public Library.
www.findagrave.com, memorial #47668157
Groton, Connecticut – July 4, 1945
U.S. Navy F6F Hellcat
U.S. Navy photo
On the night of July 4, 1945, a group of navy aircraft were making a series of landings and takeoffs at the Groton Naval Auxiliary Air Field as part of a training exercise. One of the aircraft taking part was an F6F-5 Hellcat, (Bu. No. 70879). Another aircraft was an F4U Corsair, (Bu. No. 81612).
F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo
Shortly before 11:00 p.m., the Corsair made a normal landing and taxied towards the end of the runway while the Hellcat made its approach and landed. The Hellcat landed at a normal speed and proper interval from the Corsair however, due to excessive darkness, what the pilot of the Hellcat didn’t realize was that the Corsair hadn’t completely cleared the end of the runway. At 170 feet before the end of the runway the Hellcat drove into the rear of the Corsair completely demolishing the Corsair, and causing substantial damage to the Hellcat. Fortunately neither pilot was seriously hurt.
Source: U.S. Navy Accident report dated July 4, 1945.
Groton, Connecticut – October 9, 1945
Updated July 2, 2019
F4U Corsair
US Navy Photo
On the afternoon October 9, 1945, navy Lieutenant John Seymour Tyler, 24, was piloting an Vought F4U-4 Corsair, (Bu. No. 81424), 5,000 feet over the Groton area on a familiarization flight. At about 3:30 p.m. he began practicing a series of aerial loops. After completing the first loop successfully, he immediately began a second, but as he reached the top of the second loop the aircraft stalled and went into an inverted spin. As the plane fell it appeared to partially recover before it went back into a spin. Lieutenant Tyler was killed when the aircraft crashed.
Lieutenant Tyler’s body was brought to the Quonset Naval Air Station in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, before being transported to New York for burial. According to a Rhode Island death certificate, he was born in San Francisco, California, and listed an address of Hudson Parkway, New York, N.Y.
Lieutenant Tyler was attached to VBF-4.
Sources:
North Kingstown, Rhode Island, death certificate #45-97
U. S. Navy accident report dated October 9, 1945
Info provided by Mr. Philip O. Richart who contacted New England Aviation History. Prior to his contact, the details of this accident and type of aircraft were not known. Thank you Mr. Richart.
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