Groton, CT. – February 24, 1984

Groton, Connecticut – February 24, 1984

     At about 5:00 p.m. on the evening of February 24, 1984, a Hercules cargo plane was taxiing at Groton-New London Airport when its wingtip struck the nose of a moored and unoccupied DC-3 passenger liner slicing through the nose of the DC-3.  There were no injuries in the incident.

     The cargo plane was operated by a California company, and the DC-3, built in 1950, had been purchased three years earlier by a local airline, but had never been put in service.  

     Source:

     The Day, (New London, CT.), “Plane Is Hit Near Taxiway”, February 25, 1984, page 1.  

Groton, CT. – February 1, 1982

Groton, Connecticut – February 1, 1982

     On February 1, 1982, Pilgrim Airlines Flight 466 left New York’s LaGuardia Airport with a crew of two, and five passengers aboard.  The aircraft was a twin-engine Beechcraft 99.

     The weather was raining and cloudy with a low ceiling, and strong gusty winds. 

     When the flight reached Groton-New London Airport at about 12:45 p.m. it was cleared to land.  As the aircraft made its approach to Runway 5 from the southwest, a strong gust of wind forced it to crash in a marshy area about 100 feet before the end of the runway.  The aircraft fuselage remained largely intact and there was no fire.  Thick ground fog, along with mucky-icy conditions of the marshland, made it difficult for rescuers to locate and reach the aircraft.  When they arrived at the scene, they found seven people hurt, three seriously.  All were transported to medical facilities for treatment.

     As a point of fact, another Pilgrim Airlines flight was awaiting landing instructions at the time of the accident, and was diverted to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks.   

     Sources:

     The Day, (New London, CT.), “7 Hurt, 3 Seriously In Plane Crash”, February 1, 1982, page 1. (With photo)

     The Day, “Copilot Tried To Land In Strong Wind”, February 2, 1982, page 1

     The Day, “Passenger describes Ordeal”, February 2, 1982, page 1

     Providence Evening Bulletin, “Commuter Plane Crashes In Groton; 7 Hurt”, February 1, 1982, page A-13

     Westerly Sun, (RI), “Investigators Seek Cause Of Groton Plane Crash”, February 2, 1982, page 13.

 

Groton, CT. – December 15, 1977

Groton, Connecticut – December 15, 1977

     On the evening of December 15, 1977, a Learjet with a pilot and one passenger aboard was attempting to land at Groton-New London Airport in foggy weather when it glanced off some tree tops near the end of the runway.  The pilot immediately pulled the aircraft up, and radioed Quonset Control Tower in Rhode Island of the situation, and advised he needed an airport with a longer runway and rescue equipment standing by.  He was directed to land at T. F. Green Airport in Warwick, R.I.  He landed at T. F. Green without further incident at 7:30 p.m.  Nobody aboard the aircraft was injured, however, the plane had suffered damage to its nose, wings, and engine housing from striking the trees in Groton.

     Source:

     Providence Journal Bulletin, “Jet Hits Trees At Groton, Then Lands At Green”, December 16, 1977, page C-8    

Groton, CT- March 14, 1984

Groton, Connecticut – March 14, 1984

Groton – New London Airport

     At about 4:40 a.m. on the morning of March, 14, 1984, a single-engine Piper PA-28 with a lone pilot aboard was attempting to land at Groton-New London Airport in rain and fog conditions when it crashed in a marshy area about 700 feet before Runway 5.  When rescue workers reached the aircraft they found the pilot to be deceased.

     Sources:

     New York Times, “Physicist, 67, Dies In Crash Of His Plane In Connecticut”, March 15, 1984

     The Day, “Plane Crash Investigators Still Uncertain About Cause”, March 15, 1984, Pg. 6  

     The Sun, (Westerly, R.I.), “Man Dies In Groton Plane Crash”, March 14, 1984 with photograph of crash site.

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