Groton, CT. – September 26, 1945

Groton, Connecticut – September 26, 1945

     On September 26, 1945, an a pilot in a FG-1D Corsair, (Bu. No. 87930), was practicing flight-carrier-landings at the Groton NAAF.  After five successful landings, the pilot was attempting a sixth when a strong cross-wind caused the aircraft to veer off the runway just as it touched down.  The aircraft ground looped and flipped onto its back.  The pilot was not injured, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. 

     Source: U. S. Navy accident report dated September 26, 1945

 

Groton, CT. – May 9, 1944

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, CT. – December 5, 1945

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

 

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