Housatonic River Plane Crash | New England Aviation History

Shelton, CT. – September 17, 1954

April 7, 2026

Shelton, Connecticut – September 17, 1954

On September 17, 1954, a man and woman in a Luscombe single- engine aircraft, (Reg. N1929B), equipped with pontoons, landed on the Housatonic River and refueled the plane on the Seymour side of the river. After doing so, the plane took off again, and shortly after doing so crashed and burned in a rocky/wooded area in Shelton. Both occupants were killed.

Sources:

Providence Journal, “Plane Crash Kills 2”, September 18, 1954, pg. 6.

The Day, “Two Die As Plane Crashes On Hill Near Shelton”, September 18, 1954.

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Stratford, CT. – November 29, 1970

October 31, 2023

Stratford, Connecticut – November 29, 1970

On November 29, 1970, a 39-year-old man from Trumbull, Connecticut, perished when his home-built airplane crashed and sank in the Housatonic River in Stratford. The man had built the aircraft himself, and this was only his second flight with it.

Source:

The Bridgeport Post, “Search Continues For Trumbull Pilot, Homemade Plane Dove Into River”, November 30, 1970. (Article submitted by Eric Wiberg, author and historian.)