Kearsarge, New Hampshire – December 5, 1948
On December 5, 1948, a helicopter belonging to the New England Helicopter Service was transporting building materials up Pequawket Mountain, (also known as Kearsarge North), to be used to construct a fire tower at the summit. The helicopter made it to the 3,268 foot summit, and as the pilot was about to land, the engine suddenly lost all power while the aircraft was still about 20 feet in the air. As the helicopter fell, the 30-year-old pilot jumped clear and tumbled safely to the ground. Meanwhile, the helicopter’s landing gear struck a rocky ledge causing it to flip on its side and burst into flames.
Source: The Nashua Telegraph, “Pilot Safe In Crash Of Helicopter”, December 6, 1948, page 1.
