Scituate, MA. – August 27, 1967

Scituate, Massachusetts – August 27, 1967 

     On the evening of August 27, 1967, a Provincetown-Boston Airways twin-engine Lockheed Electra took off from Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, bound for Boston – a trip of about forty miles.  There was a pilot and thirteen passengers aboard.  While in-route the right engine began to malfunction, and the aircraft began to lose altitude.  The pilot made repeated attempts to gain altitude, but was unsuccessful, and was forced to make an emergency water landing about 200 yards off the shore of Humarock Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts.    

     The landing was smooth, and there was no panic aboard the aircraft, which remained afloat for about eight minutes before sinking.  Nearby pleasure boats raced to the scene to assist survivors.  Five passengers who couldn’t swim were rescued from the wing of the airplane.  Five others were rescued from the water, and four others swam to shore on their own.   There were no fatalities, and only one passenger required medical treatment.

     Sources:

     New London Day, “All 14 Aboard Are Safe After Plane Is Ditched”, August 28, 1967 

     The Provincetown Advocate, “PBA Pilot Praised In Crash Landing”, August 31, 1967

Off Boston, MA – October 29, 1957

Off Boston, Massachusetts – October 29, 1957

    

Vintage Post Card View Of Boston's Logan Airport

Vintage Post Card View Of Boston’s Logan Airport

     On October 29, 1957, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 912 departed Idlewild Airport, (Today known as J.F. K. Airport) in New York bound for Copenhagen, Denmark.  

     The aircraft was a DC-7C with Danish Registry OY-KNB.

     At approximately 5:15 p.m., while about 200 miles off the coast of Maine, the No. 1 engine on the left wing began running erratically and then the propeller began to over speed at 4,000 r.p.m. The crew tried to feather the prop but without results.  Then sparks and flame appeared around the engine cowling.

     The pilot declared an emergency and descended to 8,000 feet while receiving routing instructions to return to Idlewild, which were later changed to Boston’s Logan Airport which was closer than New York.   Meanwhile, a Coast Guard plane was dispatched from Quonset Point Naval Air Station in Rhode Island and intercepted Flight 912 at 7:42 p.m.

     As Flight 912 was making its approach to Boston at 4,000 feet the spinning propeller broke free and fell into the sea.  The aircraft made a safe landing at Boston on runway 22L where it was met by fire crews who sprayed foam over the left wing as a precautionary measure.    

     There were no injuries reported, and occupants of the plane departed safely.

     Source: Civil Aeronautics Board Accident Investigation Report #F-105-57

         

Boston Airport – July 8, 1929

Boston Airport – July 8, 1929

     On July 8, 1929, a Ford tri-motor aircraft belonging to Colonial Air Transport took off from Boston Airport with fifteen people aboard bound for New York.  Just after takeoff one of the three engines quit, forcing the pilot, Zustis I. Wells, to turn back to the airport.  As he was landing the plane, someone drove a team of horses into its path necessitating the pilot to head the plane into a ditch near the runway.  The aircraft was damaged, but there were no reported injuries.

     Another plane was brought over and the passengers resumed their trip.    

     Source: New York Times, “New York Plane Damaged”, July 9, 1929  

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