Quonset Point Naval Air Station – November 16, 1956

Updated February 21, 2024

     On November 16, 1956, a U.S. Navy, S2F-1 Sentinel, twin-engine aircraft crashed just after take off from Quonset Point NAS.  The plane went down 200 yards off the seawall at the end of Runway 5, and sank in 30 feet of water in Narragansett Bay.  All three crewmen aboard were killed.  

     The victims were identified as:

     Lieutenant Charles Kiesling of Fenton, Michigan. 

      Lieutenant (Jg.) Robert Stack of Iowa City, Iowa.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/219577901/robert-phillip-stack

     Aviation Electronics tech. 2/c John Balunas of Greene, N.Y.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/70119765/john-henry-balunas   

     The aircraft was assigned to Antisubmarine Squadron 39 at Quonset Point.  

     Sources:

     Lewiston Evening Journal, (Me.) “Three Killed In Crash Of Navy Plane”, November 16, 1956.

     Fall River Herald News, (Ma.) “Navy Is Probing Plane Crash At Quonset”, November 17, 1956.