Groton, Connecticut – May 2, 1929
This accident occurred at the Groton Airport.
At about 4 o’clock on the afternoon of May 2, 1929, a man connected with the Red Wing Flying Circus, was attempting to crank over an aircraft’s propeller while the pilot sat in the cockpit at the controls. On the first try the engine appeared as if it had failed to start, so the man stepped forward for another try. As he did so the engine suddenly came to life, and the propeller struck him in the right leg and hurled him through the air a considerable distance.
The man suffered a fractured leg and internal injuries. He was transported to a hospital in New London.
The injured man had only been with the “circus” for a week.
Source:
The New Britain Herald, “Plane Propeller Breaks Man’s Leg”, May 3, 1929
