Griswold, Connecticut – January 9, 1978
In the early morning hours of January 9, 1978, strong winds were blowing at Griswold’s Lakeside Airport, where a rare 1946 Taylorcraft, (N44297), was tied down to moorings with 3/4 inch nylon rope. It was currently undergoing restoration by its owner, and the engine and propeller had been removed. At about 5:00 a.m., a freak gust of wind lifted the airplane, snapping its mooring ropes, and carried it onto nearby Route 138, where it was found by a passing state trooper. While the officer was investigating, another explosive gust of wind lifted the airplane a second time and hurled it upside down into nearby Pachaug Cemetery. The plane came to rest upside down in the cemetery and had sustained heavy damage, but the owner thought it could be repaired.
Source:
Norwich Bulletin, “Wind Blows Rare Plane From Field To Cemetery”, January 10, 1978, page 10. (With photo of aircraft in cemetery.)