Bridgeport Airport, Connecticut – January 18, 1942
P-39 Aircobra – U.S. Air Force Photo
On the afternoon of January 18, 1942, 2nd Lt. Burdette L. Wertman landed in a P-39D (Ser. No. 41-6801) at Bridgeport Airport after a routine training flight. As the aircraft touched down and began rolling down the runway, Lt. Wertman discovered that the brakes were inoperable. The aircraft continued rolling until it struck a dirt wall at the end of the runway. The collision wrecked the aircraft, but Wertman was uninjured.
Source: U. S. Air Corps Technical Report Of Aircraft Accident #42-1-15-4
Lieutenant Wertman perished in another aviation accident at Bridgeport on July 13, 1942. To learn more, click here: Bridgeport, Ct. July 13, 1942
